RTCOM 4.

00
Module for conversion of ASCII and
NC RT480 formats and transfer

USER MANUAL
version
issue
archive number

2.0
18/04/95
X2364

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e-mail:
Internet:

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Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Table of contents
Introduction

page

Operation instructions

page

Installation

page

Package configuration

page

File conversion and transmission

page 11

File conversion and copy

page 14

File conversion and writing on hard disk

page 16

Machine data elaboration

page 18

Appendix A: Errors

page 20

Appendix B: Examples

page 22

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Introduction
This software package allows one to convert the ASCII files realized by the user in the
syntax NC RT480 and vice-versa. Permits, besides, to transfer them via serial line or
CNI floppy disk.
This package recognizes PROGRAMS, SUBPROGRAMS, FIXED CYCLES ,
WORKING LISTS and MACHINE DATA files.
It includes the following four units:
a) One section for reading the incoming data and following construction of a file
compatible with the NC.
b) One section for the construction of an ASCII file from a CN file.
c) One section for the communication with the NC for the transmission of the files
generated.
d) One section for the disk management for the copy of the files generated.

Operation instructions
The program can run in two ways: via assisted screen management or via command line;
to start the program via screen no parameters have to be specified in the command line.
RTCOM can be integrated into a RoverCad software installation, by using the
configuration information of the machines installated. The active machine, when
available, will be displayed in the box upper right-side.
Note: the installation directory of the program RTCOM must be the same as the one
for the RoverCad program.
This is the syntax to start the program via command line:
RTCOM [Direction] [File/s ASCII] [Options][File/s CN Posit.] [Kind of file]
Example:
RTCOM /IC:\WMD\RVP\*.* /CPA: /KP
RTCOM /IC:\WMD\RVP\*.* /CVC:\WMD\RVP342 /KS
RTCOM /IC:\WMD\RVP\*.* /TX000COM1:9600,N,8,1 /KC /D
RTCOM /OC:\WMD\RVP\*.* /CPA: /KP
RTCOM /OC:\WMD\RVP\*.* /CVC:\WMD\RVP342 /KS
RTCOM /OC:\WMD\RVP\*.* /TX000COM1:9600,N,8,1 /KC /D

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

/I

Directory + name of file to convert in NC format.

Wildcard '*' is allowed to specify group of files ( Es. *.* ).
ASCII files are converted to NC format.
Direction
PC--->NC.

/O Directory + name of file to obtain converting NC files.

NC files are converted to ASCII format.
Direction
PC<---NC.
/CP Reads NC files from the CNI disk or writes files on the disk depending on
the usage of the option /O or /I.
It is necessary to specify the destination drive (A: or B:).
Should the destination not be specified then A: will be considered as default.
/CV Performs the conversion of the ASCII file to NC format and vice-versa, with
storage in the specified directory. If the RTCOM is associated to a RoverCad
system and there is an active machine available, when the destination directory
is not specified for the conversion, one of the program, subprogram, fixed
cycle or working list directories will be used, according to the type of file and
of active machine.
/TX Receives files from the NC and transmits files to the NC depending on the
usage of the option /O or /I.
Should no communication parameters be specified, then the RTCOM
parameters will be used, if available. They can be edited in a specific program
section, otherwise (if an active machine is available), the parameters for the
machine configuration can be used.
/K

Specifies the type of file to convert:

P
S
C
D
M

/D

Programs
Subprograms
Fixed cycles
Working lists
Machine data

Debug activation flag. A code will be displayed upon termination of the

program whith a full error description. If the code is 0 the elaboration is
correctly terminated.

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Specifications for creation ASCII files relative to PROGRAMS, SUBPROGRAMS,

FIXED CYCLES:
a) The incoming file has an ASCII format (only uppercase characters are used)
and it includes lines (record) terminated with CR-LF.
b) The first record is the comment (20 characters).
c) All subsequent records relate to the program steps containing the instructions
in the NC syntax (see corresponding manual), the maximum length of each record
is 75 characters + CR-LF.
d) With a multicentre NC, queued to the record of a centre, a record including the
character | (ascii 128)+CR-LF will be associated. This record will identify the
shift to the data of the subsequent centre.
Specifications for creation ASCII files relative to the WORKING LISTS:
a) The incoming file has an ASCII format and includes records terminated
with CR-LF.
b) Each record contains a working list line with the fields one after the other, without
separators, i.e.: 4 characters for the label (label or identifier of the working list line),
11 characters for the program name, 4 characters for the preset (counter of the
pieces to process), 4 characters for the counter (counter for the pieces processed)
and 49 characters form the editable line available for an eventual comment. Should
any error be detected in the incoming data, the trasmission or the copy will not be
performed.

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Installation
1) Switch on the computer and wait until the prompt signal of the dos system appears,
i.e. C:\>.
2) Insert the first disk in the drive and digit the following commands:
a:
[Enter]
install [Enter]
3) In this way you can start the installation software. Wait until a box with the request
for the language selection appears. Select the following items with the arrow keys:
- Language
as preferred [Enter]
- Source drive
A
[Enter]
- Destination drive
C
[Enter]
- Destination path
C:\WMD
[Enter]
- New installation
[Enter]
- Installation
[Enter]
4) The loading of the RTCOM software starts, wait until the message for complete
installation appears.
5) Enter the following commands:
cls
[Enter] to clear the screen,
rtcom [Enter] to start the RTCOM software.

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Package configuration
After installing the package on the hard disk, it is necessary to perform the configuration
procedure. Start the program (RTCOM [Enter]).
RTCOM needs some specific information about the configuration for the machine of
which you wish to create the programs, subprograms, cycles, working lists and machine
data. These data are generally contained in a file, similar to the serial EE of the NC.
If the package is associated to a RoverCad, useful information is taken from the
configuration file of the active machine. Differently will RTCOM start a procedure for
the automatic creation of this file, with the request of a NC disk containing the serial EE
of the machine requested.
This type of box will appear on the right hand bottom with the
indication that there is an active machine on Rover Cad.
If you have a computer with two drives available, the first request will be to specify the
drive; then, as shown in the picture hereunder, the file name of the serial EE will be
requested, that will have to be copied from the CNI floppy disk for the automatic creation
of the file for the machine configuration.

NOTE: The above picture represents the screen page appearing only the first time you
start the RTCOM, and only when the system is not associated to a RoverCad.

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Subsequently, and for each start of the RTCOM program, the following main screen
page will appear:

Upon selection of the option CONFIGURATION, the menu MACHINE SETUP

will appear:

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Upon selection of the option MAIN DATA you can insert the data for the serial
communication. The format is the following:
000COMx:baud rate,parity,data bit,stop bit (e.g. 000COM1:9600,N,8,1 or serial port
n.1, 9600 baud, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit).
Press the key [ESC] or [F10] whenever you wish to return to the main menu; in this case
it will be the menu for MACHINE SETUP.
Upon selection of the option USER DIRECTORIES you can insert the directories
containing the files to convert. The directories to specify are the following:
PROGRAM directory
(e.g. C:WMD\PRG)
SUBPROGRAM directory
(e.g. C:WMD\SUBPRG)
FIXED CYCLE directory
(e.g. C:WMD\CIC)
WORKING LIST directory
(e.g. C:WMD\LIST)
MACHINE DATA directory
(e.g. C:\WMD\DM)

NOTE: the names of the directories must obviously correspond to the names contained
in the hard disk, no error will be indicated in case of wrong or missing directory.
Upon selection of the option LANGUAGE you can modify the language for the screen
messages of RTCOM. Five languages are available. To activate them edit one of the
following codes:
RTCOM.ITA
Italian language
RTCOM.ING
English language
RTCOM.GER
German language
RTCOM.FRA
French language
RTCOM.SPA
Spanish language
Upon completion of the configuration phase, terminate with the key [ESC] and save the
data inserted.
10

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

File conversion and transmission

Start the program RTCOM and select the item TRANSMISSION. The following
screen page will appear:

It's necessary to select the kind of operation that we going to execute: the transmission
of files to the NC (PC-->CN) or the receipt from the NC (PC<--CN).

11

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Select the type of file to transmit. The list for the file selection will appear. To be able
to transmit the whole list you can use the character * instead of the file name. In addition
to that you can transmit groups of files (e.g. TI*).

Confirm the processing with the key [Enter] to start the procedure of construction/
transmission of data. The box on the list of names indicates which file is being processed.
Should any error appear during the convertion with the NC unit, a screen page similar
to the page shown hereunder will appear. It contains the error code, its description and
the row of the file containing the error.

12

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Should any error appear during the dialog with the NC unit, a screen page similar to the
page shown hereunder will appear. It contains the error code and its description.

The convertion and transmission of a group of files is intettupted if an error occurs, or

pressing the key [Esc].
If the transmission has been performed correctly, the following screen page will appear:

By pressing the key [Enter] you can return to the screen page for the file selection where
you can select other files to transmit.

13

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

File conversion and copy

Start the program RTCOM to select the option COPY.
Select the kind of opetation desired: conversion of ASCII files in NC format and the
subsequent copy to the disk, or the read of NC files from the disk and the subsequent
conversion in ASCII format (PC<--CN).
If the computer is equipped with two disk units, the following screen page for the
selection of the type of data will appear:

The operations to perform are the same as for the serial communication with the NC
RT480. The only essential difference depends on the fact that we are working with a
disk; therefore, you have to use a CNI disk (formatted on the control unit or via the disk
manager of the RoverCad). This disk will be either 720Kb or 1.44Mb.

14

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

The errors that can arise during the copy operation of the files on the disk might be
associated with disks that were not formatted correctly, or with faulty channels/sectors
of the disk. In these cases a message can be displayed, describing the type of error arisen.

Should the disk be full you can decide whether to terminate the copy or to carry on with
another floppy disk. In the screen page shown hereunder, you can see an example of
copy of files on several floppy disks.

15

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

File conversion and writing on hard disk

Start the program RTCOM and select the option CONVERSION. This function
allows you, starting from ASCII files, to create program, subprogram, cycles or working
list files, and vice-versa. The resulting files are unloaded on the hard disk in a
preconfigurated path. Converting ASCII files in NC format (PC-->CN) it's necessary
specify the destination path of the converted files. As opposit (PC<--CN) it's necessary
the path containing the NC files to convert; the resultant files are unloaded in the directory
specified in the "Package configuration".

After selecting the file or files to convert (using also the wildcard), specify the destination
path. You can also store the files on a DOS floppy disk, enter the drive identifier (e.g.
A:).

16

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

If yuo have to convert NC files to the ASCII format, set the direction box like the followin
picture:

Inserting the path of the NC files that must be converted in ASCII format, will be
activated the creation of a box where select them.

17

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Machine data elaboration

RTCOM can genearate an ASCII file starting from the machine data of the numerical
control RT480.
The function has only one direction: only from NC to PC.
The machine data can be read from a CNI disk, received by serial line or taken from
another directory.
The generated file is $RT480.DAT and is stored in the user directory insert during the
configuration of RTCOM. The file contains all the tables of the machine data of the
numerical control RT480. The sequence of the data of each table in not changed on
the file, this could be helpful to read it.
In the file each table of data is preceed from an identifier closeed from two brakets, this
is then written on more rows, the data are separed with commas, and the row is terminated
with the sequence CrLf.
To get a complete explanation about the fields of each table of the machine data refear
to the manual of the numerical control.
Follows the description of the section headers of the file $RT480.DAT
[GENERAL DATA]
Table of the general data. Single record.
[ORIGIN DATA]
Table of the origins of the machine.
[AXES DATA center:x]
Each row starts with the name of the axe. The section is repeated for the number of
centers of the machine.
[TOOL TABLE]
Table of the drilling tools.
[CYCLES]
Tool types table: list of the fixed cycles.
[CUTTER TOOL TABLE]
Cutter and blades table.

18

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

[HEAD DEFINITION center:x]

Heads data, the firsts three fields describe the progressive number of axe. The section
is repeated for the number of centers of the machine.
[TOOL CORRECTORS center:x]
Spindles data for the vertical tools. The section is repeated for the number of centers
of the machine.
[HORIZONTAL TOOL CORRECTORS center:x]
Spindles data for the horizontal tools. The section is repeated for the number of centers
of the machine.
[CUTTER TOOL CORRECTORS center:x]
Spindles data for the rotors. The section is repeated for the number of centers of the
machine.
[SPECIAL TOOL CORRECTORS center:x]
Spindles data for the blades. The section is repeated for the number of centers of the
machine.
[TOOL CHANGE center:x]
Tool change table. The section is repeated for the number of centers of the machine.
[VERTICAL conf:x center:y]
Vertical tools configuration. The section is repeated for the number of centers and for
the 15 configurations possible.
[HORIZONTAL conf:x center:y]
Horizontal tools configuration. The section is repeated for the number of centers and
for the 15 configurations possible.
[ROTOR conf:x center:y]
Rotors configuration. The section is repeated for the number of centers and for the 15
configurations possible.
[SPECIAL conf:x center:y]
Blades configuration. The section is repeated for the number of centers and for the 15
configurations possible.

19

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Appendix A: Errors
The transmission module includes the following error codes:
0
1
2
3*
4
5*
6*
7*
8
9*
10
11
12
13
14
15*
16*
17*
18
19*
20
22
23
24
25
26

Operation completed correctly

Command unknown
Bad command (wrong number of parts)
Drive not allowed (C: and D: are available on the NC)
Wrong file name (it contains unacceptable characters)
Error in the 1. part
Error in the 2. part
Wrong parameter (parameter of wrong type of file)
File OPEN failed (the file to transmit is non existing)
No file (no file satisfies the wildcard)
Checksum error
Syntax error (in the program, subprogram or cycle)
Insufficient space on disk (full disk on the NC)
Time out
Opening of serial communication failed (wrong communication parameters)
Wrong file type (wrong parameter for type of file)
Wrong option command
Wrong commands number (wrong command option number)
Wrong echo command (command echo different from the command sent)
File RTCOMMAN.DAT (for the RUN-TIME operation) missing
Machine in start
Trasmission broken by the operator (ESC)
Parity error
Overrun error
Framing error
Wrong type of working list has been sent

The errors marked with * are internal errors and they should not arise, as they refer
to the operation of the transmission module from the command line.
The errors 10, 23, 24, 25 do not refer directly to the actions of the operator. They can
be caused by a wrong setting of the serial port.

20

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

During the copying phase on CNI disk the following errors may arise:

ERROR in writing

(general writing error on disk)

PROTECTED disk

(the disk is protected in writing)

ERROR on NC disk

(the disk may be faulty)

Disk full

(there is no capacity available on floppy disk)

Disk is not 720k neither 1.44M

(unforeseen storing capacity)

File not found

(the file to copy is non existent)

Disk is not CNI

(the floppy disk is not in the CNI format)

Disk NOT ready

(the floppy disk is not inserted in the drive).

21

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Appendix B: Example
Example of program for a machine with two centres:

N10 G71 LX=1000 LY=1000 LZ=10 HC1 Z=PRK

N20 X1000 Y1000 PRF=1 G40 TP1 L=PON
N30 JP(0):01
N40 X100 Y100 G1
:01
N50 L=POFF G0
N60 X0 Y0 G0
N70 JP(0):02
N80 QX=0 QY=500 PRF=50 VF=1 L=G1 TH4 QQN=1
N90 QX=500 QY=0 PRF=75 L=G2 TH1 QQN=1
N100 QX=0 QY=500 PRF=100 L=G3 TH3 QQN=1
N110 QX=500 QY=0 PRF=25 L=G4 TH2 QQN=1
:02
N120 Z=PRK
%
|
N10 G71 LX=1000 LY=1000 LZ=10 HC1 Z=PRK
N20 X1000 Y1000 PRF=1 G40 TP1
N30 JP(0):01
N40 X100 Y100 G1
:01
N50 G0
N60 X0 Y0 G0
N70 JP(0):02
N80 QX=0 QY=500 PRF=50 TH4 QQN=1
N90 QX=500 QY=0 PRF=75 TH1 QQN=1
N100 QX=0 QY=500 PRF=100 TH3 QQN=1
N110 QX=500 QY=0 PRF=25 TH2 QQN=1
:02
N120 Z=PRK
%

22

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Example of a subprogram:
11111222223333344444
;N10 G71 LX=CPAN LY=600 LZ=53 HC1 Z=PRK
N49 X0 Y-20 Z=PRK PRF=35 F6 G41 TP1 L=PON
N49 G4 X0 Y0 R50
N49 G1 X770 Y0
N49 G1 X770 Y53 BR20
N49 G1 X456.6 Y96.3 BR46
N49 X400 Y150 R44 G4 BR46
N50 X399.5 Y465 G1
N70 BT- I364 J465 G3
N80 BT+ I349 J444 G3
N81 BT+ I224 J566 G2
N100 BT+ I296 J429.5 G3
N119 G1 BT- BA240
N119 X98 Y434 R81 G4
;N120 BT+ I171.5 J467 G2
N124 G6 X84 Y463
N140 BT+ I12.5 J424.5 G3
N150 X0 Y509 G5 R-150
N160 G1 X0 Y0
N170 X-20 Y-20 G1 G=40
N180 G0 L=POFF
N190 X15 Y40 T13 PRF=20 L=G99
N191 X15 Y420 T13 PRF=20 L=G99
N210 X390 Y170 T12 PRF=20 L=G99
N220 X500 Y79 T12 PRF=20 L=G99
N230 X700 Y45 T12 RF=10 L=G99
%

As you can see the syntax is similar to the syntax of the programs, the difference is in
the line for the dimensions, that has been made inactive with the character ; .

23

Module for conversion of ASCII and NC RT480 formats and transfer

Example of fixed cycle:

N11
N12
N20
N21
:3
N22
:4
N25
N31
N32
:1
N40
:2
N45
N50
N60
%

X-10 Y=QY
JM(PRF):3
Z=-LPZ/2 M1
JM:4
Z=PRF-LPZ M1
JM(VF):1
X=QX+PRF FX3
JM:2
X=QX+PRF FX=VF
X-10 FX50
Z=-(LPZ+20) M0
TH0 FX80 VF=0

Example of working list:

0010PROGR1
0020PROGR2
0030PROGR3
0040PROGR4
0050PROGR5

5
7
2
6
9

0
0
0
0
0

24