ISEL CNC/IMC4 programming language

Found someone in technical at techno company.

Asking him, right now, what the outputs are for the application. I did send it to him, and he was not able to run the application due to missing a superjoybox7 file, but he did get the executable file and tried to make it work.

Due to time change; he is east coast and we are west coast, will be calling in about an hour.

Ongong now.

Will let you know.

Thank you,

david

davidp wrote: Yes, we have a winXP application running an ISEL machine. Custom application and no way to derive the same data without making our own application and machine.

What are your inputs to the system? It is possible that an existing G-code-creating CAM system can do the job, or that a custom application on a LinuxCNC machine can do it more easily.

Yes, we want to replace the hardware (brains & motors if needed), but wish to retain the winXP application. If this means having linuxCNC computer host and not the winXP host, that is good, too. Yes, have Linux interpret the serial data and move the machine directly.

It might be possible to run XP in a virtual machine on the same PC as LinuxCNC, and use a virtual serial port.

I can email you a copy of the application, or drop a cd/dvd in the mail to you for you to test.

I have a Win7 virtual machine I could try it on.

Thank you for your response!

Inputs are directly into the application computer, then sent via RS232/Serial to the CNC to carry out the commands. Still trying to find out the outputs from the CNC application program. Have sent the application and programming manual. Also, sent the instruction manual. This is to be helpful, and please know I am very ignorant, but very motivated to move forward.

Running XP under a LinuxCNC is good to be able to use the serial port.

Win7 should work with the application, Win 10 will not. I have tried. However, like anything else, even when using WIN10 in backwards capacity, most of my applications won't work any more, so windows has made this the way it is, probably due to security.

Still waiting for a return call regarding the application output from one of the engineers. Expect it this week.

THank you, again,

david

Hello,
is there still sombody available who knows whether there was a solution for this topic?
I own an ISEL CMP3020 with IMC4 Interface and have similar questions.
I don't own the old DOS software from ISEL so I don't can say whether the machine is running well.
Neverthless I have a free trial for the "KAY" software available and this software is at least able to do some movements. 
Nevertheless its not working 100% (has some issues with finding origin...) so I want to use linuxcnc if possible.

I alread wrote a short c# application (thanks to chatGPT) and can also control the machine via this application (some basis only).
So I can see that the motors are moving as they should do and also the end switches are working well, including movement to origin!)

I'm also very interested to get some PC software which can communicate to the IMC4 or a code converter software which can provide the IMC4 code. 
I understood that the DNC Code is needed to steer the IMC4 directly via serial port
I understood that I have to download a CNC Code to the IMC4's flash to enable the IMC4 controller to do the work without attached PC.
Nevertheless also the CNC-Code (CNC-Mode) is not compatible with G-Code, means a DNC- or CNC-Mode converter is needed anyway to steer the machine

 

I think you might be misunderstanding what LinuxCNC does. If the machine responds to low-level commands through the serial port then I think that the CNC controller is on the machine side of the serial port. LinuxCNC is a CNC controller, so that is where half of LinuxCNC would go too.

Thanks for fast reponse. Yes I understood that linuxcnc accepts G-code input, drives CNC machines in response, means directly drives the axis/stepper motors.

My hope was that there is also a mode to drive the axis via RS232.
The LinuxCNC-DNC software ( github.com/mizoguch-ken/LinuxCNC-DNC )
sounds like it would support the DNC Languag (my IMC4 is using), may be I missunderstood and its the way arround, that it supports an input via serial interface (instead of G-Code), but I'm not really sure because could'd find a documentation.

If I understand your answer correctly (I'm not a native speaker) it says using linuxCNC would even make no sense for my use-case because than I would have 2 CNC controllers in a que?

Because I need G-Code support may be the best solution would be to get rid of my IMC4 controller and build up a new hardware which is supported by linuxCNC (only reuse the mechanics and motors, but this is high effort), or does somebody know a G-Code to ISEL DNC-Code converter?