DNC Server Scripting
Three kinds of scripts:
1. Input and Output scripts that are run for every line of text that is received or sent.
2. Send and Receive scripts that are run once every time the Send or Receive button is pressed.
3. Utility scripts that are run from the main menu.
Sometimes the CNC machine does not download the program in exactly the right format that one
would like and its necessary to make changes before or afterwards. DNC Server has the ability to
perform changes to the text during upload and download. It can change the line that comes
through the serial port before it is put in the edit window, and it can change the line before it is
sent out through the serial port from the edit window. This allows for any custom format changes
to the text that are required by the CNC machine.
This is accomplished through a script that is run for every line of text that is uploaded or
downloaded.
In DNC Settings there are tabs for both an Input filter and Output filter script.
For instance:
You are drip feeding a long program and want block numbers in the display of the program in the
main window as it is sending, so you know where you are.
But the program is so long that the block numbers go beyond 4 digits, but the machine won't take
block numbers beyond 4 digits.
Instead of having to take out all the block numbers from the file beforehand, you could strip them
out before the line was sent to the control, and they would still remain in the program file.
Filter Script
Copyright © 2023 by i-Logic Software
How Scripts are Made
Scripts for use in DNC Server are made with the i-Logic Script Designer, available at www.i-
logic.com. The Script Designer outputs pre-compiled script files. You then put the filename
of the pre-compiled script in the settings. See the help file that comes with the Script
Designer for information. You can download Script Designer here.
Filter File
You can have a separate filter file for input and output. These file names are saved for each
machine configuration, so you can have different ones for each machine. Use the button to
browse for files. The file extension for filter files made by the Script Designer is ".pcu".
Scripts for the Send and Receive Buttons
Besides a setting for the Input and Output filters, there are places for Send and Receive
scripts that are attached to the Send and Receive Buttons. The Send script will run once
when you press the Send button and the Receive script will run once when you press the
Receive button. These can be handy for executing another Windows program or adding a
wait period before the button action.
Scripts on the Main Menu
You can put up to 10 utilities under the File menu. These can either be Windows executable
files or Scripts.
You can add a script by opening the DNCUtilities.ini file and adding another entry:
Utility 3 is a script.
[Utilities]
Utility1=Setup Sheet,C:\Program Files\i-logic\inlist\inlist.exe,2
Utility2=Notepad,c:\windows\notepad.exe,2
Utility3=Renumber,C:\Users\Douglas\Documents\Embarcadero\Studio\Project
s\DNCScriptDesigner\Renumber.pcu
You could have scripts that act on the text in the editor like renumber, add spaces etc.