DNC Server
Features
Other Features
Printing:
The Print File button below the file list will print the highlighted file in the list. The Print
Window button below the DNC window just prints what's in the DNC edit window.
DNC Window:
The DNC window is an editor so you can make changes in the program if needed. It can save
you some time when you can download from the machine, make edits in the window and
send it right back.
When the editor has the focus, the Ctrl-F key will bring up a Find dialog and Ctrl-R will bring
up a Find-Replace Dialog.
Setup Sheet:
This calls the optional InList program to print a tool list from the selected file. The InList
program is available from i-Logic Software.
Select Start:
Normally, when you press the SEND button it starts sending from the beginning of the
program. When this menu item is checked it will start sending from the line in the editor
which the cursor is on. This is useful when using drip feed to the control and you want to
start the program at a certain spot.
Utilities on Main Menu:
There are three built in utilities:
1.
Renumber See Configuration Editor.
2.
Load Inplot Editor - Opens the Inplot program and loads
the text into the editor.
Other executable programs can be added to the utilities menu
by adding them to the included DNCUtilities.ini file.
The file is in the format of :
Utility[number] =menu caption,exe filename,[1=needs DNC
edit window NC filename as parameter;2=needs selected
filename in file list window]
Example file:
[Utilities]
Utility1=Setup Sheet,inlist.exe,1
Utility2=Notepad,notepad.exe,1
Drip Feed:
DNC Server supports drip feeding the program to the machine control in the same way as
normal sending, if the control supports it and you have the proper handshaking. On Most
controls this is an optional feature, so yours may not support it. On Fanuc, set the mode switch
to "Tape" and input parameters to "RS-232".
Loop Feature - When sending a program from the edit window its possible to put a Loop
Comment code in the program so a section of the program will be repeatedly sent out to the
control. With this you could set DNC Multi-Server to drip feed a long program continuously
repeating itself so you don't have to go to the computer to send the program each time.
The Loop Comment Code is "(LOOP " and the block number to jump to.
Example:
G90G00X-4.1312Y.6502
N45G00Z.1
G01Z-.3F20.
G41D0G01X-4.3312F2.0
X-4.3914
G03X-4.7657Y.2987I0.J-.375
Y-.2987I4.7657J-.2987
X-4.3914Y-.6502I.3743J.0235
G01X-4.3312
(LOOP 45)
G40X-4.1312
G00Z3.0
In this example, when DNC Server reads the line "(LOOP 45)" it finds block number N45 and
jumps to that line and continues sending. This will loop forever between the two lines
continuously sending out the lines to the control. If you want to loop only for a certain number
of times, use a comma and the number of loops to execute. (LOOP 45,4) will repeat 4 times and
then continue with the next line after the loop.
You could use this feature when drip feeding to the machine: the program after finishing could
start again at the beginning, and you never have to go to the computer to start it again. Stop to
change the part by placing M00 in program.
Nested loops won't work.
LOOP feature can be turned on in Configuration - Advanced - Use LOOP Command checkbox.
See Advanced Configuration
If there is a handshaking problem when drip feeding short fast lines, it may help to set Output
Method to Send by Line.
Command Line - Normally, DNC Server starts up with the last used machine configuration. It
can be started with a parameter on the command line that will start with a particular machine
configuration. Make a shortcut and put a space and then the machine name on the end of the
command line. Put angle brackets around the machine name. (put quotes around it if there are
spaces in the name). Put the shortcut in the Windows startup folder. DNC Server will start with
that machine configuration loaded.
Example:
The machine name is the same name that shows up in the machine dropdown list. You need to
put brackets around it. You only need to put quotation marks around it if it has spaces in the
name. Like this:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\i-Logic\DNCServerM\DNCServer.exe" "<okuma lathe>"
You can have multiple shortcuts in the startup folder and start multiple copies of DNC Server with
different machine configurations. Each one needs to be set to a different comm port or they will
interfere with each other.
They can be set to start Minimized if you want.
Other Command Line Parameters - On the command line there can be up to three parameters.
Any combination of:
•
Machine name as in, "<Okuma1>"
•
"/MIN" = start with window minimized.
•
Filename to load: "C:\Program Files\i-Logic\Inplot\NC\Ku-210.NC"
•
"/I" = will try to load text from Inplot edit window.
•
"/MAX" = start with window maximized.
•
“/P” = set the IP Port number for Remote operation.
Starting the program automatically when the computer is turned on. - Put the Shortcut you made
above, (or a copy of the shortcut) in your Startup Folder. The folder should be found in something
like:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
File List Window Shortcuts
Shortcut Key Effect
•
Shift + F10
Display context menu for selected item
•
UpArrow
Move up
•
DownArrow
Move down
•
Delete
Send file to Recycle Bin
•
Enter
Open file or folder
•
BackSpace
Go to parent folder
•
F2
Rename file
•
F5
Refresh listing
Text Window Shortcuts
•
Ctrl + F
Search for text
•
Ctrl + R
Search and Replace
Double-Click on files in File List Window: If you make a File Association for the NC Files in
the Windows operating system - for instance, to open the file in another editor - double-
clicking on a file in the File List window will also do the same.
Tips for DNC administrators:
To prevent editing of files which are loaded into the text window, a setting can be manually
added to the DNC.INI file, in the DNCServer section.
[DNCServer]
EditorReadOnly=1
This will set the text window so that any loaded text cannot be changed.
In printing the the file, the left margin can be increased with the setting of:
PrintMargin=10
This offsets the left margin the number of characters.
ShowSoundsPage=1
Shows the Sounds page in Settings list.
WindowColor=1
For visual accessibility purposes. Changes editor and file list background color to use
current Windows theme.
Folders:
When DNC Server is installed, the default installation is: C:\Program Files\i-Logic\DNCServer.
The configuration files are stored in the common application folder, which on WIndowsXP
is:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\i-Logic\DNCServer
and is C:\Users\Public\Documents\i-Logic\DNCServer on Windows Vista - 10
DNC Compare
You can compare two versions of your NC file to see if there has been
any changes. When you have a file in the editor and you have a
filename highlighted in the file list, click “Check File” on the File menu.
You just need to install the free program from here.
DNC Compare can also be used as stand alone program for
comparing any two text files