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APEX-HPGL User`s Manual - Newing

1. N Kx Alan am E ZIZ Kamma Supported G amp M Code Commands Command Syntax Traverse G00 Xd d Yd d Zd d Fd d Td d Ctext string Linear Move G01 Xd d Yd d Zd d Fd d 2D Arc clockwise 2D Arc counter clockwise G02 Xd d Yd d Zd d Id d Jd d Kd d Fd d G03 Xd d Yd d Zd d Id d Jd d Kd d Fd d Dwell seconds G04 Fd d XY plane for helical G17 XZ plane for helical G18 YZ plane for helical G19 Go Home G37 Clear soft Home G62 Imperial Units inches G70 Metric Units mm G71 3D Arc clockwise G72 Xd d Yd d Zd d Id d Jd d Kd d Fd d 3D Arc counter clockwise G73 Xd d Yd d Zd d Id d Jd d Kd d Fd d Relative Mode 2D arcs G74 Use G90 G91 Mode 2D arcs G75 Peck Drill G83 Rd d Zd d Dd d Fd d Absolute Coordinate Mode G90 Relative Coordinate Mode G91 Set soft Home G92 Xd d Yd d Zd d Set Spindle Speed rpm G97 Sd Set Virtual Port G98 Pd Dd Program Pause M00 Optional Pause MOI Program End M02 2D Device ON M11 3D Device ON M12 2D Device OFF M21 3D Device OFF M22 Program Start M90 Program Replay M91 Exit CNC Interpreter M99 74 Chapter VI Machine Parameters Setup The Machine Parameters application provides a user friendly
2. AH Newing Hall Inc P E A TECHNOLOGY APEX HPGL User s Manual Controller Models HP2 and HP3 Revision 21 Copyright 1998 2006 Newing Hall Inc 2019 Monroe Street Toledo Ohio 43624 NH Part 3011001 Last Updated March 2006 This manual is subject to change without notice Table of Contents Chapter 1 Installation Guide 1 1 Upon Receptor Shipment 245505 noel ouieto na dlckiie dando aes eee ones eae 4 1 2 Installing the HPGL Comtrollet sisnc2tsey sees 2 abuse paws dvevasesivasteutasebeeess ouisssieate 5 1 3 Installing the APEX Product SOftWate s si seccaues cudcvendesaeeheceseuedes eyecuecdeiarekinene 22 Chapter 2 Quick Start 2 1 T uring on System POWER ieee ccheciwad deeds et ety a a bodied a i 23 2 2 System Checko t issrcsrerscrerosserri arero sds i tE Narr ROED siuparneceersdanaeda dence 24 X3JLS SoftWare SOUP csc ceceeuyce er aT O REEE ORE AEPA EEEE SEA REARSET 25 24 Creating the Work Tle si2 scevcccsirenepvicnesoevectescieatdesesviduewiex ecneycceaidudetvemlosiecs 26 2 5 Executing the Work file iscressiscioesesisseriosecciidierieniu ias oeiee irnk i e Tai 27 Chapter 3 Operations 3 8 Control Panel 4 perauons oc1uiviesnsesededessouteeddeuetpaveesedeteessedpassscdegestmeadedeaSns 28 3 2 Controller Men cesc urea ymtac E cee uacaane aye suse a enol 34 3 3 APEX HPGL Data ables lt acseuceusedaasanacantardeededensneneasennengh orcas cedeunsanceacndes 42 3 4 Vector search Technology VS U sc
3. Press Datum Press Enter to access the menu and enable Pocket Milling mode e Scroll the menu and select Pocket Milling e Use the left jog arrow key to select ON e Press Enter to accept the new status FoON gt 5 Establish any other parameters cut depth clearance etc 6 Select Esc to exit the menu 7 Load the first work piece 8 Position the tool over the local home within the pocket and press Set Home or select from one of the previously defined Pre Set Home positions 9 Press Digitize and define the material surface 10 Send a job to the HP3 controller unless the desired job is already loaded 11 Press Start to begin job execution The job will complete and then datum 12 Unload the work piece and load another work piece as desired 13 Repeat from 9 as desired until the run is complete Note The Park feature must be disabled or OFF for Pocket Milling to operate properly Batching Aids the user running a set number of the same job a preset number of times To operate Batching 1 Select the Batching command and press Enter 2 Enter the desired amount of times to re run the same job and press Enter 3 Exit the menu by pressing Cancel Configuration Sub Menu Display Units Allows the user to set the desired units Metric or Imperial 1 Select the Display Units command and press Enter 2 Select Imperial or Metric by pressing the left right arrow keys
4. Model line The following table will show what firmware must be used with the particular model and version of the processor board Model K520 Rev x k3c444 bin The Model K520 board firmware must start with k2xxxxx bin If this is your model proceed to step 7 103 Model H971 Rev 4x h4k428f bin The Model H971 Rev 4x firmware must start with h4xxxxx bin If this is your model proceed to step 3 Model H971 Rev 3 HTK354B BIN The Model H971 Rev 3 firmware must start with HTxxxxx bin If this is your model proceed to step 3 3 n Strike the F4 key on the keypad then type 147 and press Enter to invoke the monitor mode The terminal should respond with instructions that it you have Entered H971 Monitor and then the terminal should issue the prompt Type e m and press Enter This command will erase the controller s FLASH memory The terminal should respond with instructions that it is Erasing Firmware at Location 2000 and so on Watch the status bar for the progress indicator during the erase procedure Type e 3 and press Enter This command will erase the INIT file Using the mouse click the File Cabinet button on the toolbar to invoke the Store File dialog box In the Controller Location field select F Firmware Locate and select the desired firmware BIN file such as h4k428f bin and click Open Watch the status bar for the progress indicator during the download When fin
5. Steady On Executing Running 33 3 2 HP3 Controller Menu The HP3 controller has an operating menu that provides access to additional features The menu is not supported on HP2 controllers Jog Keys Up Down The up down jog keys tt are used to select menu frames in the menu system The 2 key moves from the currently selected menu item function to the next item function The ft key moves from the currently selected menu item function to the previous item function Jog Keys Left Right The left right jog keys 9 are used to select menu items in the menu system The key moves from the currently selected menu item function to the previous item function Pressing the key at the beginning of a menu frame will invoke the previous menu frame The gt key moves from the currently selected menu item function to the next item function Pressing the gt key at the end of a menu frame will invoke the next menu frame Enter The Enter key accepts the currently selected item displayed on the LCD It is most common uses are 1 To invoke the controller s menu system from the main Newing Hall display Pressing Enter at the main screen will recall the previously visited menu frame 2 To activate initiate the currently selected menu item command 3 To accept confirm the currently displayed number during numeric data entry Cancel The Cancel key abandons the currently selected item
6. Pen Down PD The PD command causes the controller to lower the current tool pen into the down position then moves the tool to the specified coordinates Syntax PD lt lt x gt gt lt lt y gt gt Or PD which merely lowers the tool The lt lt x gt gt and lt lt y gt gt parameters define the coordinates of the destination for the move s in plotter units More than one X Y pair may be specified before the colon for execution in sequence If no coordinate pairs are specified the tool is lowered but no movement is generated Either absolute or relative coordinates may be used and are enabled by the previous PA or PR command Plot Relative PR The PR command places the controller in relative plotting mode and moves the tool to the specified relative coordinate using the current tool position Syntax PR lt lt x gt gt lt lt y gt gt Or PR which places controller in relative plot mode The lt lt x gt gt and lt lt y gt gt parameters define the relative coordinates of the destination for the move s in plotter units More than one X Y pair may be specified before the colon for execution in sequence If no coordinate pairs are specified the controller is placed in relative plotting mode but no movement is generated Pen Up PU The PU command causes the controller to raise the current tool pen into the retracted position then moves the tool to the specified coordinates Syntax PU l
7. e Serial cable 9 pin not connected e COMMs parameters in the JLS or other engraving software do not match the controller Communication Parameters Controller HP1 HP3 Baud Rate 19200 57600 Parity Even Even Stop Bits 1 1 Data Bits 8 8 Handshake Hardware Hardware e Conflict in host computer communications port setup e Defective communications port hardware PC or controller To correct this problem resolve the connection power causes above and try again If this does not correct the problem consult the host software e g JLS communications setup parameters as described in Chapter 4 If the setup parameters are correct then review the host PC for port conflicts This is especially problematic for computers with many serial devices connected such as modems FAXes serial mice power savers 3rd party screen savers etc Resolve any of these conflicts before proceeding Checking The Communications Circuit using the Mouse In order to check the communications circuitry turn the PC off and swap the serial cable and serial mouse cable connections Reboot the PC and try the mouse If the mouse does not work then the problem is likely to be an error on the host PC s COMM port Otherwise turn the PC off swap the cables back reboot the PC and continue Note If the mouse does work this still may not eliminate the port or the PC as the mouse and controller use different pins on the connectio
8. HP Menu Options not all options are available to all models of HP3 controllers Cut Speed The Cut Speed parameter is the feed rate for the X Y axis movements during cutting this is the maximum feed rate the controller may slow the movement down temporarily in order to navigate turns This value can also be modified by the SF command in the HPGL command stream 34 Note The non cutting tool up feed rate is executed at Vmax for each axis and is not affected by the current Cut Speed Move XY Axes The Move command allows the user to program a specific X Y move from the controller keypad To execute a Move follow these steps Select the Move command and then press Enter Enter the desired absolute X axis coordinate relative to HOME then press Enter Enter the desired absolute Y axis coordinate relative to HOME then press Enter Press Enter to execute the Move or Cancel to abort erra Jog XY Axes The Jog command allows the user to move the tool randomly from the controller keypad while tracking its position relative to HOME To execute a Jog follow these steps Select the Jog command and then press Enter Use the 1 gt F keys to move the tool while observing the X Y position Repeat step 2 Until the desired position is attained Press Cancel to exit aa a Note pressing the Turbo button after pressing and holding any of the jog keys will cause the system to jog at maximum
9. Otherwise the IP address will be set at the time of installing a new machine tool 18 Highlight the newly made connection and select properties Machine Tool Properties The rea Machine Tools are set up on this computer lt i gt Remove Properties Test IP Help Close 3 9 10 2 19 Select the Machine Info Database for this connection The Machine Info Database is called advanced mdb and is typically located c apex hpgl NHIO375 7667 Properties T NHIO375 7667 Rename IP Address _ _ 182 168 C Cancel Machine Info Database Dee NOTE Once you click OK the specified Machine Tool will be updated and it s IP Address will be changed to use the address you have specified above This could mean that other PCs on your network will no longer be able to communicate with this Machine Tool if they are configured to use the old IP address Please consult your Network Administrator if you have any doubt or questions about changing this setting 14 Look in HPGL d amp c EA E F advanced mdb A advanced_german mdb File name adyanced mdb Files of type Microsoft Access Database mdb Me Cancel 20 A dialog box will prompt you if you want to save changes select Yes WARNING Changing the properties of a connection to improper values can cause your machine tool not to function Please do not make changes to these settings with
10. This option sets the maximum velocity of the X axis in Cylindrical mode Cylindrical device fitted Default is 4 0 per inch 254 per mm Arc Resolution SET_RES Parameter This option sets the smoothness to which internal arc commands are evaluated The numeric value represents the maximum deviation of the actual stepwise path from the true path of the arc segment along its length Default is 0 0010 inches 0 254 mm Vertex Angle This option sets the Vertex Angle factor Fy a coefficient multiplier which controls the critical angle above which the system will slow down to a STOP as it negotiates significant turns in the path Increasing this factor will increase the critical angle thus forcing the system to negotiate more radical turns without stopping See Vertex Acceleration B parameter in the next section This parameter is particularly useful for tuning the transitions through polygons and splines Zone B Trajectory change is greater than the a Vertex Angle and so the system will decelerate to a complete STOP prior to v resuming motion on the 1 new trajectory Zone C Trajectory s change is significantly greater than the Vertex Angle and so the system will decelerate 4 to a STOF and then PAUSE prior to reversing motion in order to allow the 1 machine to settle t Zone A Nearly straight motion such that the trajectory change is less than the Vertex Angle The syst
11. function allows the user to select from available job files on the host computer To use DNC 1 Press DNC 2 Scan the list of displayed jobs using the arrow keys 3 Highlight the desired job 4 Press Enter to load the job or Cancel to abort 30 Digitize 6 Key Pressing the Digitize key establishes the material surface HP3 only This is necessary in order to establish an accurate depth of cut for systems with a stepper controlled Z axis To digitize the surface use the following method Insert the cutting tool into the Z spindle and tighten Press the Digitize key Jog the tool down until the point of the tool barely touches the material surface Press the Digitize key again The tool will retract to the Home position Tama If the material surface is undefined when the user presses Start the HP3 automatically prompts the user to digitize the surface Set Home 1 Key Pressing the Set Home key causes the system to reset its origin to the current position of the tool The new origin or 0 0 position is established and all movement is relative to the new origin See section 6 9 for more on the HOME position Go Home 2 Key The Go Home key causes the system to move to its previously established 0 0 position This Home is established using the Set Home key above See section 6 9 for more on the HOME position Datum 3 Key The Datum key is used to drive the tool to its physical origi
12. 29 The Cancel key also abandons a selection or numeric entry HP3 only Note If the job engraves successfully then it is retained in memory This is useful if the job needs to be engraved again without re transmitting the job to the controller To completely clear the memory press Cancel twice to purge the job Enter Key On HP3 systems pressing the Enter key accepts the selected item in the on board display see next section HP3 Menu for details Note The Enter key is not supported for HP2 SPDL 7 Key Pressing this key energizes the rotary spindle motor circuit based on the current setting of the Spindle Speed Control causing the rotary spindle motor to turn Simultaneously adjusting the Spindle Speed Control will allow you to tune the motor to the desired RPM s before engraving Aux1 8 Aux2 9 Keys Pressing the Aux1 and Aux2 keys enable user outputs Auxiliary 1 and Auxiliary 2 respectively These auxiliary outputs can be connected to control external functions such as chip removal and cutting fluid application Test Sol 4 Key This key is used in conjunction with AUX1 L and AUX2 R to actuate the solenoid circuitry for the left and right pneumatic spindles respectively To actuate a pneumatic spindle 1 Press and HOLD the Test Sol key 2 To actuate the Left spindle press the Aux1 L key 3 To actuate the Right spindle press the Aux2 R key DNC 5 Key The Direct Numeric Control DNC
13. Bearing Adjustment Move the carriage to the center of the x bridge and the x bridge to the front of the table Grasp the right side of the carriage with your hand and attempt to move the carriage up and down If there is play evident locate the right linear bearing adjustment set screw see fig D 3 and turn clockwise with a 5 64 Allen wrench only until movement is gone Do not over tighten or the carriage may bind Repeat the above two steps for the left linear bearing Bearing Cell Plate Inspection Move the carriage to the left of the x bridge and the x bridge to the rear of the table Remove the left and right nosepieces from the y rails by using a 3 32 Allen wrench Slide the left and right brush covers forward and remove for accessibility Clean the brush covers using an ordinary degreaser Dry them thoroughly before re installing To check for play in the y axis bearing cell plate grasp the x bridge and attempt to move it front to back of the table while touching the bearing cell plate If there is any play evident in the bearing cell plate contact Customer Service at 1 800 521 2615 for replacement Do not attempt to adjust the bearing cell plate It is preset and cannot be adjusted Actuator Inspection A sign of actuator wear is usually best shown during engraving Circular letters or graphics are a good test for checking actuator wear Actuator wear is evident when the starting and ending points of engraved circular letters
14. Emergency Stop button immediately stops all motion by removing power from the system This action disables the system for emergency purposes meaning the drive power can only be restored by pressing the Drives On key see above Note Emergency Stop button must be disengaged by lightly rotating it clockwise before Drives On will function CAUTION This button should be used for emergency stopping ONLY since it will cause the system to lose its home position which does not allow recovery by pressing the Start key LED s The LED indicators monitor the operating status of the HPGL controller LED Function AUX2 START ON during system operation See below for details STOP ON when the system is paused stopped CYL FLAT ON when the system is in CYLINDRICAL mode KEY ON when a key is pressed POWER ON when the controller power is ON SPDL ON when rotary spindle drive motor is energized AUX1 ON when AUX1 is enabled O N when AUX2 is enabled The APEX HPGL controller reports the following conditions via LED After pressing Start START LED Condition Steady Off No action error Slow Blink Engraving Paused Press Start to resume Medium Blink Ready To Start Press Start to begin Fast Blink No Job Available to execute Fast Blink at power up Drives Disabled Check cabling pullout E Stop switch Press Drives On
15. J AutoDBl Path The Job History Database is used by all the components of Job Server to record job related activity When a job runs the file name start and finish date and time the length of time it actually ran and the outcome are all recorded in this database Job completed cancelled or if another type of error happened is also recorded in this file The database is in Microsoft Access MDB format When the database becomes very large it is sometimes necessary to perform maintenance to speed it up This can be done with the Repair Database button The complete job history can be permanently removed deleted by clicking on the Clear Job History button The Project File is used to store information for the set up of the host PC applications in relation to the controller and machine configuration Data such as M Codes language specific settings for CNC and HPGL and machine size and speed is stored in the Project File Selecting the settings button next to the project file name can do creating a new Project File or changing values in an existing one The File Extensions section determines which files Job Server will consider to be executable jobs File extensions as well as their associated languages are displayed In DNC the pendant keypad and display will only display job files corresponding to the file extensions shown in this section Hot Watch will only detect and run files corresponding to these file extensions Users can
16. Pin 7 Pin 1 Pin 1 Y Datum Input Brown Pin 9 Pin 6 Pin 6 V LED 0 VI Green Pin 14 Pin 4 Pin 4 X Datum Input Blue Pin 15 Pin 7 Pin 7 Z Datum Input Black 42 Motor Driver Cable Logic Pin out configuration for the Motor Driver cable 2500022 Pin DB25M Pin DB25 F Signal 1 14 CYL Phase A 2 16 CYL Phase A 3 17 CYL Phase B 4 19 CYL Phase B 5 13 Shield Earth 6 20 Y Phase A 8 22 Y Phase A 9 25 Y Phase B 10 23 Y Phase B 11 N C E Stop 12 N C E Stop 13 3 X Phase A 14 1 X Phase A 15 4 X Phase B 16 6 X Phase B 17 7 LSPDL 18 8 LSPDL 19 9 RSPDL 20 10 RSPDL 21 12 Z Phase A 22 11 Z Phase A 23 2 Z Phase B 24 24 Z Phase B 25 14 CYL Phase A 43 3 4 Vector Search Technology Vector Search Technology VST is a feature of the HPGL controller that allows the user to backup or skip through an executing job This process stops the machine during engraving while the user jogs the tool to the point in the job where it is desired to restart and then resumes engraving at the new location simply by pressing Start The controller auto detects the position of the tool and resumes engraving from that location This feature is configured in the Machine Parameters software prior to the start of engraving Setup The VST is easily configured using Machine Parameters It simply involves establishing the Restart Tole
17. Tool Plunge Speed This option sets the base feed rate for the Z axis down travel This is usually set at a slower rate because of the need to cut down through the work piece to establish the full Tool Cut Depth Units are user units per second in sec or mm sec Default is 0 25 inches sec 6 3 mm sec Tool Lift Speed This option sets the base feed rate for the Z axis up travel This is usually set at a faster rate because there is no need cut into the work piece on the up stroke The tool is raised from the Tool Cut Depth position to the Tool Lift Height position see below Units are user units per second in sec or mm sec Default is 2 0 inches sec 51 mm sec Tool Lift Height This option sets the height above the material surface to which the Z axis will raise the tool when it lifts out of the work piece during the course of the job Units are user units in or mm This parameter allows the user to optimize system performance by restricting the up travel to a minimum while specifying sufficient height to clear the work piece and jigging Default is 0 10 inches 2 54 mm X Tool Offset This option sets the distance between Tool 1 and Tool 2 in the X axis used with dual spindles Default is 0 See Spindle Mode above Y Tool Offset This option sets the distance between Tool 1 and Tool 2 in the Y axis used with dual spindles Default is 0 See Spindle Mode above Auto Park Position This option sets the status of the
18. boxes DO NOT DAMAGE SHIPPING CARTONS Items returned to the factory for service must be shipped in their original containers and packed according to applicable instructions provided Check the packing list to see that all items have arrived Call Customer Service if there is a discrepancy 1 2 Installing the HPGL Controller Assembly For Tables without Pedestal Procedure 1 Unpack the table and place on a secure surface Remove the plastic tie straps and bridge block 2 Unpack the controller from its carton 3 Two 1 inch nylon set screws are installed diagonally on the controller Using these setscrews as guides drop the guides through the controller screw holes on the bracket 4 Attach two of the button head cap screws 10 32 x 3 8 to the controller and secure using the Allen wrench 5 Remove both nylon set screws 6 Attach the remaining button head cap screws 10 32 x 3 8 to the controller and secure using the Allen wrench NOTE A small magnet is located on the left side of the controller bracket This magnet is used to secure the rotary drive when not in use When attaching the rotary drive use the screws located in the center of the front drive arm Assembly For Tables with Pedestal 400 or 600 Remove the APEX HPGL controller from its carton and carefully place the controller upside down facing you on a stable protected surface near the engraving table Locate the controller bracket and align
19. brushes if either brush exhibits excessive wear Replace the motor connector on the back of the HPGL controller and test using the Spindle key on the front panel Run the spindle motor for 10 minutes at 100 to seat the brushes Warning Newly installed brushes that are not seated properly may cause damage to the motor and malfunction of the controller Check Diamond Spindle Insert Check the diamond insert to make sure it has not worn by engraving a sample plate Use a new insert to engrave the same sample and compare quality Check V wheel Adjustment There are four V wheels located inside the Y rails of the engraving table and one V wheel located inside the bridge Check the two V wheels on the right side of the machine by holding the V wheel between thumb and forefinger If any of the V wheels can be turned then they are in need of adjustment Contact Newing Hall Inc Customer Service for instructions regarding V wheel adjustment Do not attempt to adjust the V wheel without first consulting Newing Hall Inc Customer Service or the table will become out of square 98 Appendix B Cable Connection Mouse Cable Serial Cable Comm 1 or 2 Ethernet Motor Driver Cable Cylindrical Cable opt 99 Appendix C Troubleshooting Symptom Cannot communicate with controller This can be caused by a number of factors e Controller not turned on via the main power switch e Controller E Stop button engaged
20. customize the file extensions for each language by typing in the extensions in the associated edit box Separating extensions with a space will specify multiple file extensions for a given language 49 One type that needs explanation is Binary When sending a job with the extension listed in the Binary box to the controller the job is sent in binary format and no processing will be done with it before it is sent This is useful for Raster jobs which contain binary information The Host Data Capture section is provided for diagnostics Input and Output can be independently selected If one or both of the check boxes is clicked a dialog box will pop up requesting a file name This is where data that is captured will be stored until the check boxes are unchecked The file will be used exclusively by Job Server cannot be opened by any other program until the check box is unchecked This option should only be used for diagnostic purposes i e don t just leave it on for normal running The port must be available to the particular session of Job Server the user wants to monitor If the Job Server icon in the System Tray associated with the session to be monitored has the red line through it then the port is not available and setting these options will not work The AutoDBI Path sets the location and filename of the DBI Database Interface File where information relating to the set up and function of the host PC and controller softwa
21. followed by Enter 3 The controller will convert the units and reboot 39 DNC_ Mode There are mainly two modes of operation local DNC and Remote DNC Remote DNC stores the job files on a remote PC Local DNC is a new feature that allows users to store job files in flash memory of the HP3 controller This allows users the ability to keep jobs in the controller between power cycles Since the job files are stored in flash memory no batteries are required to maintain the files in the controller when power is off The default value is set to ELAB This allows the user to re run the job after it successfully engraves by simply pressing Start again on the controller Therefore it is not necessary to re transmit the job from Engrave Lab via Ethernet communications Enabling Local DNC 1 Turn on the HP3 controller 2 Enter the menu on the HP3 controller by selecting ENTER gt CONFIGURATION gt DNC_MODE 3 Select Local and press ENTER 4 Exit out of the menu by pressing CANCEL X Limit Allows the user to Enable or disable the X datum 1 Select the X Limit command and press Enter to toggle the datum on or off Y Limit Allows the user to Enable or disable the Y datum 1 Select the Y Limit command and press Enter to toggle the datum on or off Z Limit Allows the user to Enable or disable the Z datum 1 Select the Z Limit command and press Enter to toggle the datum on or off Ethernet Sub Menu Specify IP Allows the user to manu
22. from a host PC We Motion Mechanic Components available within Motion Mechanic 1 Terminal Emulator Provides direct access to the controller for development diagnostics or troubleshooting 2 Text File Editor Editing or development of files related to the controller can be worked without another application 3 Session Log Keeps a record of communication error statistics Stored between sessions of Motion Mechanic Can be used for troubleshooting communication problems 4 MotionMechanic Terminal APEX HPGL E Fite Edit View Controller Tools Window Help ae BAVEL Reboot Load Init File x For Help press F1 c Apex HPGL HP4 ETC COM1 57600 Even cts DSR 94 9 1 Operation Overview This tool is provided for troubleshooting and updating the HPGL controller Updating the controller with new files such as Firmware and INIT files can increase the functionality and or fix problems in the HPGL controller Usage of this tool is typically used in conjunction with Newing Hall Customer Support giving instructions to the user Using this tool is not recommended unless instructed by Newing Hall Support Technicians Improper use of this tool can render the HPGL controller unusable 95 Appendix A Maintenance Monthly Maintenance Procedures CAUTION To reduce the risk of injury DISCONNECT ALL POWER to the engraving system prior to performing any maintenance Cleaning and Lubricating the NH 30
23. go to step 2 above If a matching point is NOT found the START LED will issue a fast blink sequence and then go out At this point do ONE of the following 44 To initiate a new search press Start followed by VST Then jog the tool to the next search position and go to step 2 above To restart from the beginning of the job press Start to recall the job and then press Start again to restart the job from the beginning 45 3 5 Tool Changes The HPGL controller supports the option of either automatic tool offsets OR pausing for manual tool changes This is configured via Machine Parameters prior to the start of engraving Setup To configure the HPGL for a specific spindle mode 1 Start Machine Parameters 2 Select the Input Output Parameters located on the left pane 3 Locate the Spindle Tool Change Mode field and set it appropriately e Automatic using defined X Y Tool Offsets e PAUSE machine pauses for manual tool change Note If PAUSE is selected the spindle type must be single pneumatic in order to have the controller pause during the engraving of the job Operation in Automatic Mode 1 Setup the job in the host software with Left Right or Both spindles see software manual for details 2 Send the work file and press the Start button 3 The HPGL controller will automatically change spindles using the Spindle Offsets identified in the HPGL Setup Operation in PAUSE Mode 1 Setup th
24. in the HPGL Setup see Chapter 6 for further details Operation in Cylindrical vs Flat Mode The HP3 controller maintains separate position registers for flat and cylindrical mode HOMBP s This is because the X axis mechanical properties of the machine are different in each mode The Datum function re datum s ALL axes including the cylindrical mode x axis This function zeroes the position references for ALL axes and leaves the controller in the mode that was active when the Datum button was pressed The datum order is Z X Y flat X Cyl Note In order to get the X Cyl axis to datum it is necessary to enable the datum function on the cylindrical axis See discussion of Limit Mask in Chapter 6 for more details When in FLAT mode the Set Home function records the current FLAT mode HOME position and does NOT ALTER the cylindrical mode Home position Logically the Go Home function 61 in FLAT mode goes to the previously saved FLAT mode Home ignoring the CYL mode entirely Conversely when in CYL mode the Set Home function records the current CYL mode HOME position and does NOT ALTER the FLAT mode Home position Logically the Go Home function in CYL mode goes to the previously saved CYL mode Home ignoring the FLAT mode entirely The controller automatically maintains home positions when the user switches between FLAT and CYL modes Preset Home Positions Nine home position pre sets can be defined
25. interface for setting the parameters governing machine operation The Machine Parameters program uses new technology to present the data to the end user Instead of the proprietary scripting language this version uses HTML to format the parameter input display Multiple screens can be implemented using links between multiple HTML files or by using HTML frames JavaScript or VBScript can also be embedded into the HTML to perform sophisticated manipulation of the screen or data NOTE Machine Parameters uses MS Internet Explorer to present HTML Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5 or higher is required for Machine Parameters to function properly To start Machine Parameters make sure the controller is on and click on the Machine Parameters icon Machine Parameters Note When Machine Parameters starts it loads all parameters from the controller 6 1 Table Parameters Menu To access the Table Parameters click on the Table Parameters located in the left pane of Machine Parameters These parameters are established according to the specific mechanical properties of the table used specifically using a stepper driven Z axis spindle X Table Size This option sets the amount of available travel in the X axis from the DATUM position to the absolute limit of the tool in the X axis This value is INCHES or MM according to the measurement units defined below Default is the width of the available engraving area Y Table Size This option
26. motion is executed during this delay Default is 2000 msec Aux Device Code This option sets the device code for AUX1 which is the physical device controlled by the AUX1 button on the control panel Options are e Not Used e Relay 1 e ISO2 e AUX 1 default e AUX2 e Solenoid 1 e Solenoid 2 Aux Device Mode This option sets the device mode or method of operation for the device attached to the AUX1 auxiliary output channel Options are e Manually Activated e Automatic Active During Job default e Automatic Inactive During Pen Up Active During Pen Down Aux2 Device Code This option sets the device code for AUX2 which is the physical device controlled by the AUXz2 button on the control panel Options are e Not Used e Relay 1 e ISO2 e AUXI e AUX 2 default e Solenoid 1 e Solenoid 2 Aux2 Device Mode This option sets the device mode or method of operation for the device attached to the AUX2 auxiliary output channel Options are e Manually Activated e Automatic Active During Job default 82 e Automatic Inactive During Pen Up Active During Pen Down Link Solenoid 1 to Cylindrical This option when enabled causes Solenoid 1 to switch in synchronization with the Flat Cyl key on the controller s keypad Thus the user may control an external operation event along with the Flat Cyl status This is particularly useful when actuating a clamp or brake etc when the system is in i
27. names of the jobs that will be included for reporting Wild card characters are not allowed It is intended to simply include whatever is entered as part of every job file name to be included The Report Type specifies the time interval that data will be grouped and summarized by daily weekly monthly or yearly See the Report Options section for additional information 4 Generate and Preview the report Reports can be quite long depending on the criteria Print Preview is the way to make sure you have what you really want before using a lot of paper In many cases you may not want to actually print the report but you just want to review the information right on the computer screen From the File Menu select Print Preview click on File gt Print Preview See the Print Preview section for additional information 5 Optional step print the report Once you are comfortable with the content of the report then proceed with generating the hard copy The print function in Job Reporter normally sends the report to the default Windows printer To change the selected printer use the Print Setup option in the File Menu click on File gt Print Setup See the Print option in the Main Menu section for additional information For more information please see the Job Reporter online help 93 Chapter IX Motion Mechanic The Motion Mechanic application gives the user advanced technical control over the use and setup of the motion controller
28. on Z axis operation Symptom Short Circuit Detect on XY Depending on the revision of the motor drive board this error message if displayed is indicating the controller has detected a short circuit on the table Disconnect the motor drive cable and inspect the cable for damage If no damage on the motor drive cable inspect the wiring on the table 108 Warranty Information Stop Read the following and fill out the Registration Card at the back of this section before you go any further Basic Warranty Newing Hall Inc the company warrants new machines software and accessories that are manufactured by Newing Hall to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year beginning on the day the product is shipped This warranty does not cover products that have been abused or used for purposes for which they were not intended or designed Consumable items including but not limited to belts brushes vacuum table covers and cutters are not covered under this warranty Spindle bearings are covered for ninety days Accessories not manufactured by Newing Hall including but not limited to personal computers PC s air compressors and digitizer tablets are covered by warranties from the companies that manufacture these products and are not covered under warranty by Newing Hall Separate warranty information is packed with these products and it is the customer s responsibility to follow each company s policy Fiel
29. or graphics do not meet If they do not meet at the top then there is actuator play in the y axis actuator s If they do not meet at the sides then there is play in the x axis actuator The NH 600 table contains 2 y axis actuators Move the carriage to the center of the x bridge and the x bridge to the center of the table Remove the nose piece s and brush cover as previously explained if not already removed Grasp the x bridge and attempt to move it front to back feeling for any play in the actuator s Do the same to the carriage and attempt to move it left to right 97 If there is any play evident contact Customer Service at 1 800 521 2615 or contact your Newing Hall sales representative Do Not attempt to adjust the actuators They have to be adjusted to a specific torque setting using special equipment Note Ballscrews do not require any adjustments The only maintenance required is to keep them clean and lubricated with Newing Hall RED X Inspect Motor Drive Belts Remove the belts to check for excessive wear or fraying On NH 300 and NH 400 models the belts are 39 on the front and 41 on the rear The NH 600 model belts are 52 on the front and 50 1 8 on the rear Inspect Motor Brushes First UNPLUG THE MOTOR The motor connector is located on the back of the controller Remove the motor brushes which are located near the bottom of the motor Excessive brush wear is indicated if the brush is worn to the notch Replace both
30. pressing the appropriate number keys on the numeric keypad supported on HP3 controllers only These keys are dual function which means that they act as numeric keys during numeric data entry modes in addition to their normal functions The controller switches to numbers instead of functions as appropriate When prompted to enter a number simply press the corresponding numeric key sequences followed by the Enter key For example entering the number 3 14 e g feed rate is done like this 1 Press 3 shares the DATUM key 2 Press Shares the VST key 3 Press 1 shares the SET HOME key 4 Press 4 shares the TEST SOL key 5 Press Enter To change the sign of a number press Press again to change to the opposite sign To abandon the current entry press Cancel Numeric data entry and its corresponding keys is not supported on HP2 controllers This means that HP2 does not recognize the following keys e Numeric keys 0 9 e Enter Key e Key Key 28 Jog Keys The Jog keys are the four arrow keys at the left side of the control panel These keys are used to move the tool manually e t Causes the tool to move toward the back of the table e X Causes the tool to move toward the front of the table e lt Causes the tool to move to the left e gt Causes the tool to move to the right e Z Causes the ft and X keys to move the Z spindle up and dow
31. speed Clear Home The Clear Home command abandons the current HOME position leaving it undefined To clear the HOME position follow these steps 1 Select the Clear Home command and then press Enter Display Job Time The Display Job Time command displays the run time of the previously executed job in minutes and seconds To display the job time follow these steps 1 Select the Job Time command and then press Enter 2 Press Cancel to exit Select Interface The Select Interface command provides selection between available interface formats for the controller 1 Select the Select Interface command and then press Enter 35 2 Use the 6 and gt keys to select between options o HPGL G amp M 3 Press Enter to set the new interface Parking The Parking command provides selection between available options for tool spindle position at the end of the job 1 Select the Parking command and then press Enter 2 Use the 6 and gt keys to select between options e NONE Leaves the tool at the end of job position e PARK Drives the tool to x 0 y Y max at end of job e HOME Drives the tool to HOME after end of job 3 Press Enter to select the parking mode Purge Job The Purge Job command clears the current job buffer and readies the controller for a new job 1 Select the Purge Job command and then press Enter 2 Use the 6 and gt keys to select between options e PUR
32. the controller see also SF Syntax VS lt lt f gt gt The lt lt f gt gt parameter is the feed rate index from 1 to 60 60 100 Index Relative ZO120 The ZO120 command rotates the indexing head by a relative offset Syntax ZO120 lt lt r gt gt 71 The lt lt r gt gt parameter defines the relative offset from the current position of the indexing head in plotter units This command automatically performs an indexing sequence using the cylindrical mode The sequence is defined as e De energize Solenoid 1 auxiliary e Switch into CYL mode e Index CYL axis by lt lt r gt gt plotter units FROM THE CURRENT POSITION e Switch back into FLAT mode e Energize Solenoid 1 auxiliary This command is best used for general indexing within the job Index Absolute ZO121 The ZO121 command rotates the indexing head to an absolute coordinate Syntax ZO121 lt lt a gt gt The lt lt a gt gt parameter defines the new absolute coordinate position of the indexing head in plotter units This command automatically performs an indexing sequence using the cylindrical mode The sequence is defined as e De energize Solenoid 1 auxiliary e Switch into CYL mode e Index to absolute position lt lt a gt gt on CYL axis e Switch back into FLAT mode e Energize Solenoid 1 auxiliary This command is best used for homing and parking the indexing head Note The correct I O Parameter Settings in MACHINE PARAME
33. unit pu in or pu mm and refer to the X and Y axes Default is 1000 0 inches 40 mm For example a system with an XY scale factor defined as 1000 means that the controller will expect the host software to send HPGL commands with 1000 plotter units per linear inch Thus to drive this system 4 inches in the X axis the host software would issue the HPGL command PA4000 0 0 HPGL Z Scale This option sets the scale factor for transforming HPGL commands from the host software into real world motion on the current machine Units are HPGL plot units per user unit pu in or pu mm and refer to the Z axis ONLY Default is 1000 0 40 mm For example a system with a Z scale factor defined as 1000 means that the controller will expect the host software to send HPGL commands with 1000 plotter units per linear inch Thus to drive this system 4 inches in the Z axis the host software would issue the HPGL command PAO 0 4000 85 Contouring Acceleration This option sets the acceleration A during cutting for ALL axes Units are in user units per second per second in sec or mm sec It is typically lower than the traversing rate see also Acceleration below to give smoother motion and therefore better image quality This parameter is particularly influential for long straight motion sequences and intense vector sequences such as high resolution HPGL jobs Default is 15 0 inches sec 508 mm sec X Cyl Max Velocity
34. with Job Previewer it will ask if the user wishes to associate the extension If this option is accepted Windows will place Job Previewer icons along side the file names that have the selected extension The user will then be able to double click on a job file and have Job Previewer come up with the job displayed automatically There is a check box labeled Don t ask me this again that can be selected to disable checking of file extensions when starting the program To restore checking of file extensions see the Supplemental Information page Job Previewer ce SORESUN PLT JobPreviewer File View Tools Help aol FRO WWI QEFE YO M SlewMoves V CutMoves V Bounds M Axis Points Material Sheet 1 PA31 96 6588 PA3211 6563 PA3227 6538 PA32 43 6512 PA3260 6490 PA32 79 6465 Poin 385 401 c 4pex HPGL HP4 ETC 90 7 1 Operation Overview Job Previewer provides the capability to preview jobs in detail before the commitment is made to cut material on the real machine In production environments where new untested job files are being created on a regular basis this can be valuable in saving time expensive materials and wear and tear on machines A large portion of the development and testing cycle for new job files can be performed using Job Previewer This application can simulate the execution of a job file and generate a clear picture of how the real part will turn out The three dimensional graphics display gi
35. 0 400 600 Table Remove the Table Plates and clean the channels If your machine is equipped with a T slot or vacuum table clean them in place Use the jog keys to expose all sections and vacuum the Y rail and X bridge extrusions If the machine is under heavy use then clean these areas more often Clean the lead screws V wheels and V wheel rods with a clean lint free cloth Using the jog keys apply a light coat of Christo lube or Newing Hall RED X over the entire length of each lead screw so that there is a 1 16 bead at the actuator when the machine is running Do not use petroleum based lubricants such as 3 in 1 Oil or WD40 or any other type of lubricant on the lead screws Use of other lubricants could cause an excessive wear of the actuator nuts Note If the lead screw is over lubricated it may allow debris to collect on the lead screw and cause undue wear to the actuator and lead screw Note 2 Ballscrews are to be lubricated only with Newing Hall RED X Using Cristo lube will damage the ballscrews and void the warranty Wipe no more than one drop of 3 in 1 Oil on the 12 rod which runs horizontally along the bridge Do the same to the 14 rods and V wheels inside the bridge and Y rails Use the jog keys to expose the entire rod for complete lubrication 96 Quarterly Maintenance 300 400 600 CAUTION To reduce the risk of injury DISCONNECT ALL POWER to the engraving system prior to performing any maintenance Linear
36. 4k428f bin UNRECOVERABLE use EXTREME CAUTION Product refinement or bug fix Level 3 Level 3 is the most common controller consisting of a new INIT file e g upgrade and involves only replacing the INIT HP4INI 3 xx K529 UC file Re instate default machine Level 2 Level 2 involves restoring a previous version parameters or machine setup of the machine setup file e g HPODRAM UC Controller will not boot up Level 2 and or the INIT file e g HP4INI UC The reliably Self Test file HP4 Units and the language file Controller boots but cannot Level 2 may also be restored optional enable drive power Update Process Verify that the controller is connected to the host PC and turned ON Then start Motion Mechanic by double clicking on the Motion Mechanic icon Follow these steps to update the controller Level 1 1 Verify that the Terminal applet is running Motion Mechanic Terminal displayed in title bar If it is not running select the Terminal command from the Tools Menu 2 Itis important to determine the Model and revision of the processor board in the HPGL controller before flashing Flashing the wrong firmware to the wrong controller board may render the HPGL controller inoperable To determine the model and revision press the F9 This should place a prompt At the prompt type version This command will display version information about the controller The line that is of importance is the
37. 5 rete tcices end ed cundeencetentnbaseneleddasasenaeiadas 44 3 5 Tool Changes Auto Man icvecssescasusiesseasinteebssaeskigevenss eeendadervecaveseseetes 46 De MI SEVE esene has E a ances a lea oes oe awe dine eas wrens E es 48 3 7 Distributed Numeric Control DNC Local and Remote cc cece ee ee ees 51 3 8 Hot W duh actehctctcrietuaeisedeeieeidels AE EEE sacs REES 54 39 Job QUEUE raner E EEEN E EEE EE S 58 3 10 Home POSI ons rnrseeina rear e E Ta as a rE AN EEEREN SE E RENARE A 61 Chapter 4 Software Setup 4 1 Using APEX JLS neern r R each eae a eee 63 4 2 Using Copel raw sescicinaucstosusndoacxww eed cusnwndtnoeduinarstseietonwalieaurotoeamuoons 64 A Usine CN ait eect Gases E A E 65 4A Using Sipnlab hata neira said anu at idee aetna daiddad aeons mdse a iaa 66 4 5 Using EngraveLab o oo ccccccccecccccceceeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeseeesseueaeeseeeeeeenaneess 67 4 6 Using AutoCAD Mo occc cece cccececcccecccseeeeeeeseceeesueseeseeseeeaeneeeeeeeeeananees 68 Chapter 5 HPGL Command Set Dy HPGL Gmina Set ecserin ato ei AE EEE tdeatdge acco EREE EEE RE TERAS 69 5 2 G amp M Codes Command Selesi2cccssceesyscianievsceysaeies eaemececaiedenae sea NEEN RE 73 Chapter 6 Machine Parameters 6 1 Table Parameters MIGNU 6 seer iirssrei rini irana Vera EER ER EE ETETE EIRA ERACE 75 6 2 Datum Paft meters Meng 2324 oc cecesdestedvdess inn onia orn E i E R E Eai 79 6 3 Input Output Parameters Menu cssssesesesssrrrrrrrssrsssser
38. Auto Park feature This option defines where the tool will be positioned after completing a job Options are e None tool left at end of last move e Park X 0 Y Y max e Go Home X 0 Y 0 Datum at Start of Job This option determines if the machine will datum at the start of every job This feature is useful if a pre defined origin is set Note If Datum at Start of Job is set the controller will ignore table limits 84 6 4 Machine Resolution Motion Params Menu To access the Machine Resolution Motion Parameters click on Machine Resolution Motion Parameters located in the left pane of Machine Parameters These parameters are related to the machine s resolution X Resolution This option sets the resolution of the X axis in steps per user unit steps in or steps mm Default is 16000 0 per inch 630 per mm 5 1 Ball screw Leadscrews are 12 800 per inch 504 per mm 4 1 Y Resolution This option sets the resolution of the Y axis in steps per user unit steps in or steps mm Default is 16000 0 per inch 630 per mm 5 1 Ball screw Leadscrews are 12 800 per inch 504 per mm 4 1 Z Resolution This option sets the resolution of the Z axis in steps per user unit steps in or steps mm Default is 12800 0 per inch 504 per mm HPGL XY Scale This option sets the scale factor for transforming HPGL commands from the host software into real world motion on the current machine Units are HPGL plot units per user
39. C l 2 3 Press DNC on the controller Select the job using the arrow keys and press the DECIMAL key The DECIMAL key is also VST key A confirmation will appear To delete the file press Enter to cancel press Cancel Note Deleting a file from flash memory can take up to a minute IMPORTANT NOTE Local DNC mode was mainly intended to be used with Ethernet Communications Although it will work via serial saving a job file into flash memory requires much more time 53 3 8 Hot Watch The Hot Watch feature available with Job Server is a general spooling application that allows jobs to be quickly sent from the host software thus minimizing the downtime associated with transmitting jobs HotWatch alel Hotw atch Folders InBox AIALA E OutBox o Apex OutBox a Refresh Interval a Seconds Activate HotWatch on startup of JobServer Empty QutBox on JobServer Exit Status l Inactive Start Watching The Hot Watch applet acts as a mediator between the host software and host computer by quickly buffering a job sent to it from the host software which allows the host software to resume other tasks and then transferring the job to the controller in the background at a lower rate appropriate for the controller Host HPGL Software fds Needed Controller Setup 1 Start Job Server 2 Right mouse click the Job Server icon in the system tray then select DNC Verify that the settings m
40. DISABLED 80 6 3 Input Output Parameters Menu To access the Input Output Parameters click Input Output Parameters in the left pane of Machine Parameters These parameters are related to the operation of the rotary spindle drive system or auxiliary outputs Fourth Axis Indexing This option enables a four axis system to use the fourth axis as a rotary indexing head not a cylindrical axis See Link Solenoid 1 To Cylindrical option below Default is disabled Spindle Setup This option sets what type of spindles is fitted on the machine Options are e Single Pneumatic e Dual Pneumatic default e Single Controlled e Controlled Pneumatic Z Axis Configuration This option determines how the Z axis will function during engraving Options are e Independent Z Default e Follow X axis e Follow Y axis Spindle Device Code This option sets which auxiliary output enables the rotary spindle motor e Not Used e Relay 1 default e ISO2 e Solenoid 1 e Solenoid 2 Spindle Mode This option sets which auxiliary output enables the rotary spindle motor e Automatic Offset to 2 spindle for auto tool change Default e Pause Pause for manual tool change single spindle only 81 Spindle Delay Rotary Motor Power Up Dwell This option sets the delay in milliseconds employed to allow the rotary spindle drive system to achieve its desired velocity from stop OR decelerate to a complete stop from operating speed No X Y
41. EX HPGL Turn on the host computer and APEX HPGL Start Microsoft Windows Start SignLab TM From the Cut menu select the Plotter Setup command Select the Newing Hall APEX HPGL Controller driver Set the parameters as follows Port Location Com 1 or 2 as desired End Point Origin Origin Lower Left Click on OK to complete the configuration From the File menu select the Control Panel command Setup the port as follows Baud Rate 57600 Parity Even Data Bits 8 Stop Bits 1 Flow Control Hardware Click on OK to complete the configuration Design the drawing 12 13 In SignLab plot the drawing On the APEX HPGL press the Start button 66 4 5 Using EngraveLab for Windows To setup EngraveLab 7 for use with the APEX HPGL follow these steps Connect the APEX HPGL Turn on the host computer and APEX HPGL Start Microsoft Windows Start EngraveLab 7 From the Engrave menu select the Engraving Defaults command Select the Newing Hall APEX HPGL UpperLeft Controller driver Press the Setup command button to configure the port followed by the Port tab Set the parameters as follows to edit the ports select the edit checkbox on the Current COMM settings Ret Se ea eS Port Location Com 1 or 2 as desired or TCPIP raw Ethernet If using Ethernet the Port number is 23 Baud Rate 57600 Parity Even Data Bits 8 Stop Bits 1 Flow Control Hard
42. GE Clear job buffer e CANCEL Abandon this command 3 Press Enter to activate the selected option Run Self Test The Run Self Test command executes the built in self test in order to test the motion operation s 1 Jog the tool into the lower left corner of the table bed 2 Press Set Home 3 Select the Self Test command then press Enter 4 Use the lt and gt keys to select between options e YES Start job e NO Abandon this command 5 Press Enter to activate the selected option 36 The self test pattern is 10 square with HOME at the lower left corner The Set Dwell Up command allows the user to override the default up dwell setting from the control panel Recall that up dwell is a machine pause that allows enough time for the pneumatic spindle to fully retract out of the material surface prior to XY motion To set the up dwell Set Dwell Up 1 Select the Set Dwell Up command 2 From the numeric keypad enter the new dwell delay for up dwell in milliseconds 3 Press Enter Set Dwell Down The Set Dwell Down command allows the user to override the default down dwell setting from the control panel Recall that down dwell is a machine pause that allows enough time for the pneumatic spindle to achieve its full cutting depth prior to XY motion To set the down dwell 1 Select the Set Dwell Down command 2 From the numeric keypad enter the new dwell delay for up dwell in milliseconds 3 Pre
43. SUPPLIED WITH A CROSSOVER NETWORK CABLE IF YOU PLAN ON USING THE HPGL CONTROLLER USING A NETWORK WITH A HUB OR SWITCH YOU MUST USE A STRAIGHT THROUGH NETWORK CABLE For tables with Datum sensors fitted 6 Connect the 15 pin DATUM cable to the HPGL 15 pin DATUM port on the back of the controller 7 Connect the remaining end of the 15 pin DATUM cable to the NH engraving table Note On current production tables the LED s are powered through the datum cable The LAST step is to connect the standard AC power cord to the HPGL main power connector to the controller Connect the remaining end of the power cable to a standard wall outlet Installing and Configuring Ethernet Requirements Controllers with Ethernet capability will have an external Ethernet connection on the back of the controller located above the serial port Network Setups Network setups can be very simple or complex If you have a network administrator it will be advisable to seek their expertise There are a number of ways to attach the HPGL controller to a network The first setup uses a hub or switch Every connection made on the network connects directly to the hub or switch The wiring to the hub or switch is a straight through CAT 5 network cable The diagram below will illustrate this Straight Through CAT 5 Network Cable oo Lo am Computers Hub or Switch HPGL Controller H Using a Hub or Switch If a network is not present at the location an ind
44. TERS must be established in order to use the ZO commands above Consult Chapter 6 for further details 72 5 2 G amp M Code Commands EIA 274D The following is a summary of the supported G amp M code command set for the APEX HPGL controller Notes on Command Syntax e Motion is assumed to be in the upper right quadrant with a conventional ORIGIN at 0 0 in the lower left corner of the work piece e Positive X motion is to the RIGHT negative X motion is to the LEFT e Positive Y motion is BACK Negative Y motion is FORWARD e Positive Z motion is DOWN Negative Z motion is UP e Positive angles indicate anti clockwise motion Negative angles indicate clockwise motion e All angles coordinates and displacements are signed e Parameters within brackets are optional e Fields represented by d d are signed decimal numbers e Fields represented by d are positive integer numbers e Unsupported commands should not be inserted in the motion stream e Argument mnemonics are defined as follows Mnemonic Meaning Tool change operator message Peck drill delta Port data Feed rate Dwell Preparatory function Circular interpolation value in X axis Circular interpolation value in Y axis Circular interpolation value in Z axis Miscellaneous function Sequence number Port number Beginning Z motion dimension Spindle RPM Tool change X axis dimension Y axis dimension Z axis dimension
45. URATION IS SHOWN Two Examples are provided below Example 1 Direct Connection Example Configuration Using the Supplied Crossover Network Cable no network switch or hub 1 Turn on the Computer and HPGL controller Verify the Link light is on the PC or HUB 10 a Configure the network interface on the computer Note If you have network administrators seek their expertise Open the Control Panel Select the Network and Internet Connections link located in the control panel Next select Network Connections Right click Local Area Connection and select properties Double click TCP IP in the text box Enter the following settings These settings are generic and can not support every possible configuration IP Address 192 168 1 5 Subnet mask 255 255 255 0 PANNE Internet Protocol TCP IP Properties TT General You can get IP settings assigned automatically if your network supports this capability Otherwise you need to ask your network administrator for the appropriate IP settings Obtain an IP address automatically Use the following IP address IP address 192 168 1 F 5 Subnet mask 255 255 255 0 Default gateway y i Use the following DNS server addresses Preferred DNS server Alternate DNS server ia imetia 9 Press ok to dismiss the dialog box and save the settings 10 Install APEX Product Software and Select the Ethernet Connection
46. a PC connected via a serial cable or Ethernet cable Press DNC on the controller This will open local DNC mode The top line will display lt Load Job from PC gt Place the curser using the arrows keys on line one and press Enter The controller briefly displays the number of bytes available in the controller flash memory The next menu displays the jobs via Remote DNC These jobs are located on the computer running Job Server Select the job and press START This will save the job into flash memory Pressing Enter will display the job file size and date Press Cancel to exit Once all the job s are saved to the controller press Cancel The menu will display the Local DNC menu To exit from Local DNC press Cancel to exit the menu system Note For example if the file that needs to be saved to flash memory is 2 8MB The time it takes to save the file to flash memory depends if serial or Ethernet communications is used Ethernet is much faster compared to serial communication Looking at the table below a 2 8 MB file will take 10 minutes to load at 57600 bps Ethernet Serial 2 40 10 00 2 8MB File Running a job from Local DNC l 2 Press DNC on the controller Select the job using the arrow keys and press START on the controller If you would like to see the number of bytes the job is using in the flash memory press Enter on the controller To exit press Cancel Deleting a job from Local DN
47. ally set the IP address to be used by the controller or use DHCP 1 Select the Specify IP command and press Enter 2 Select Enter to use DHCP or Cancel to specify IP and subnet mask 3 Enter the IP address if you selected Specify IP Enter each octet of the IP address and press the Enter key Enter 40 4 Enter the Subnet mask if you selected Specify IP Enter each octet of the subnet mask and press the Enter key Enter Display IP Displays the values of IP and subnet mask currently in use by the controller 1 Select the Display IP command and press Enter 2 The current IP and subnet mask values are displayed 3 Press the Cancel key to exit Display Host Displays the value of the IP address used by the host computer running Job Server 1 Select the Display Host command and press Enter 2 The current IP of the host computer is displayed If no host is present or if no link is present an appropriate error message will be shown 3 Press the Cancel key to exit 41 3 3 APEX HPGL Data Cables Serial Cable Logic Pin out configuration for the serial cable 1061919 Datum Cable Logic Pin DB9F Pin DB9M_ Signal 2 2 TX 3 3 RX 4 4 DTR 5 5 GND 6 6 DSR 7 7 RTS 8 8 CTS Pin out configuration for the datum cable 2500703 DB 15 Plug DB 9 Receptacle DB 9 Plug Table Signal Wire Pin 6 Pin 2 3 5 Pin 9 V LED VCC Red
48. also multiple pre set HOME positions HP3 only Defining Home Home is defined as the position X Y that the controller currently recognizes as Home Home can only be defined by pressing the Set Home key The Datum function drives each axis to its hardware defined datum point and zeroes the position counters Any pre existing Home position is preserved but is now relative to the new re defined datum position The Set Home function updates the Home position defined in the controller to the current position of the tool If Preserve Home Yes in the HPGL Setup then the HPGL controller also loads the current Home position into non volatile memory each time Set Home is pressed This allows the Home position to be preserved after the controller is switched OFF or in the event of a power loss Setting this value to No causes the HP3 to power up with an undefined home position see below The Go Home function causes the tool to be moved from its current position to the currently defined Home position If Home is undefined then no movement is made Restoring the Home Position after Power Loss The HP3 controller stores the current Home position X Y in non volatile memory each time the user presses the Set Home button This is to guard against losing Home in the event that power is lost or the Emergency Stop button is depressed Home is reset to this previously stored position X Y on power up if Preserve Home Yes
49. apidly for several seconds as above Finally large jobs that do not fit entirely in the controllers RAM memory cannot be restarted without re transmitting them from the host PC Symptom Table does not park after the end of a job This is typically due to the Auto Park feature not being enabled To correct this problem start Machine Parameters and enable Auto Park in the Input Output Parameters 101 Symptom Z axis stepper does not operate or jog This is typically a setup problem in which the system is defined for a 2 axis system instead of a 3 axis system To correct this problem start Machine Parameters and properly configure the Spindle Setup and Z axis Configuration fields in the Input Output Parameters If the problem persists contact NHI Customer Service Symptom Controller does not start This is typically the result of a blown mains fuse To correct this problem e Disconnect all power from the controller e Remove the fuse holder module from the mains switch e Note the voltage orientation of the module when it is removed e Check and replace any defective fuse e Replace the fuse holder module in the proper voltage orientation e Re connect power If the problem persists contact NHI Customer Service Symptom Controller does not respond loss of FLASH This problem is characterized by complete shutdown of ALL operations and loss of communication with the host computer To correct this problem the co
50. atch the following 54 JobServer Settings Job History Database C Program Files Newing Hall Inc Machine T ools Logs JobHistory mdb E Clear Job History Repair Database Project File c Apex HPGL HP4 ETC ey Settings File Extensions HPGL pt hpl CNC enc Native uci Binary Ime I Auto Preview on Job Info I Launch JobMonitor on Startup Host Data Capture Capture Input Capture Output j m AutoDBl Path c 4pex HPGL a OK Cancel Note All extensions must be lower case 3 After making changes close the dialog by selecting OK 4 Right mouse click the Job Server icon in the system tray then select DNC Verify the path is correct gr DNC Display files from this folder E Status Reset DNC r Pendant View 5 Close the DNC dialog The settings will be saved 55 6 Right mouse click Job Server located in the system tray and select Hot Watch Verify Hot Watch settings HotWatch a ee HotWatch Hotw atch Folders InBox EEA el OutBox c Apex OutBox el Refresh Interval p aol Seconds Activate HotWatch on startup of JobServer Empty QutBox on JobServer Exit Status Inactive Start Watching The Refresh Interval is the maximum amount of time milliseconds that Hot Watch will wait for the completion of a job file transfer from the host software This value may need to be increased if
51. d Service Units Field Service Units FSU are Controllers and or Flatbed Tables They are available for temporary use by customers when it is necessary to return their unit to the Customer Service Department for repair During the warranty period there is no charge for this service There is a One Hundred Fifty Dollar 175 00 charge per repair event for non warranty customers Availability of FSU s cannot be guaranteed but the company will provide FSUs as they are available After the customer s unit has been repaired and returned it is the customer s responsibility to return the company s FSU s by surface UPS at the customer s expense The customer must ship the FSU within two business days after receiving their repaired unit Prompt return of FSU s is necessary to insure that FSU s are available for all customers Customers who fail to adhere to this policy will have rental charges assessed Freight Charges For repairs covered under warranty the company will be responsible for surface UPS freight charges from Customer Service to the customer s location The customer is responsible for all freight charges from their facility to Customer Service The customer is responsible for the difference in freight charges for delivery by means other than surface UPS Shipping Cartons Because of possible rough handling by the various shipping companies the Newing Hall shipping cartons have been specially designed to protect the equipmen
52. dvanced mdb Ee NOTE Once you click OK the specified Machine Tool will be updated and it s IP Address will be changed to use the address you have specified above This could mean that other PCs on your network will no longer be able to communicate with this Machine Tool if they are configured to use the old IP address Please consult your Network Administrator if you have any doubt or questions about changing this setting 19 Look in HPGL z oF m EY advanced mdb 2 advanced_german mdb File name advanced mdb Files of type Microsoft Access Database mdb T Cancel 13 A dialog box will prompt you if you want to save changes select Yes WARNING Changing the properties of a connection to improper values can cause your machine tool not to Function Please do not make changes to these settings without First consulting your technical support representative Save Changes Yes No 14 The HPGL controller is now configured with an IP address and now is ready to be used by Job Server For information regarding Job Server consult the online help Controller Test To verify that the controller is in working order 1 Turn on the POWER switch on the rear of the HPGL controller The START light will blink when the HPGL completes its power on self test diagnostics If the datum cable is plugged in the LED s should be on which are located under the T slot of the table 2 Press the Drives but
53. e bounds checking is not enabled see Negative Stroke and Table Size above 79 Limit Switch Type This option sets the type of limit switches installed in the table Options are e Normally Open default e Normally Closed XY Datum High Speed The datum move is done at high speed until the datum sensor is found and then at a lower speed to precisely determine the datum position This option defines the high speed datum velocity for X and Y axes Default is 1 00 inches sec 25 mm sec XY Datum Low Speed This option defines the low speed datum velocity for X and Y axes Default is 0 10 inches sec 2 54 mm sec Z Datum High Speed This option defines the high speed datum velocity for the Z axis Default is 0 50 inches sec 12 7 mm sec Datum Y First If this checkbox is selected Datuming a machine the Y axis will find home before the X axis Otherwise X is first Preserve Home This option specifies whether the controller saves the Home position between power cycles When enabled this option saves the current home position each time Set Home is pressed After the controller is powered down and re started pressing Go Home will drive the tool to the previous home position datum s limits required Default is ENABLED Datum at Start of Job If the Datum at start of job check box is set the machine will find it s home location each time a job is run before the job is actually executed Default is
54. e number associated with each Job File will vary as job files are added removed or moved within the queue There should be no repetition of sequence number but it is likely that some numbers may be missing or that the sequence doesn t start at one 1 Job Name Job Name displays the path of each job file name in the current job queue Reps Reps displays the number of times the associated job file will be executed Edit Edit opens the Job Queue Item dialog box Select the Job File record for editing Click Edit Edit the entry as necessary Click OK Move Up Down Move Up and Move Down relocate a selected Job File within the established Sequence Select the Job File you wish to re sequence Click Move Up or Move Down as appropriate The Job File will move one place at a time Running Job Queue To run the Job Queue component follow these steps Start Job Server Right click Job Server in the system tray and select Job Queue Select the desired job queue or create a New one Click Execute this Job Queue to begin the job transmission On the machine position the material set home etc When ready press the Start button Repeat steps 5 6 as needed to complete the entire job queue Pe ee a 60 3 10 Home Positions HP2 and HP3 controllers store the system HOME in non volatile memory in order to preserve the HOME position after a power loss This section describes use of the non volatile HOME and
55. e job in the host software with text graphics defined as left right or both spindles JLS supports the following tool pen definitions e Text graphics defined as left spindle SP1 e Text graphics defined as right spindle SP2 e Text graphics defined as both spindles SP3 Users who are NOT using JLS merely select SP1 SP2 SP8 During engraving the HPGL controller will ONLY ACTUATE THE LEFT SPINDLE for engraving but will pause and prompt for a manual tool change upon encountering anything defined for the right or both spindles 2 Send the work file and press the Start button 3 THERE IS NO PROMPT TO INSERT THE FIRST TOOL It is assumed that the first tool SP1 is installed prior to pressing Start Thus engraving begins immediately 4 Each time a tool pen change is encountered thereafter the START LED blinks repetitively according to the appropriate pen index 46 e for example when changing to SP2 defined as right in the JLS software the machine will pause and the START LED will repeat a two blink pattern for SP2 5 Insert the correct cutting tool into the Left spindle 6 Press Start to resume engraving with the new tool 7 Repeat from step 4 Until the job is complete 47 3 6 Job Server Job Server provides the main connection between the computing resources of your PC workstation and the motion controller that drives your automated machine tool Job Server is designed to stay out o
56. e maximum velocity for jogging for the current axis Units are in user units per second in sec or mm sec Default is 50 0 60 0 20 0 inches sec 102 102 25 4 inches sec Jog Acceleration This option sets the acceleration for jogging for the current axis Units are in user units per second per second in sec or mm sec Default is 30 0 30 0 2 0 inches sec 1270 12700 51 mm sec Reverse Delay This option sets the dwell time in milliseconds that the system delays at vertices that extend the criteria given in the Reverse Percentage Parameters 88 6 6 Machine Limits Terminology Systems with a controlled Z axis and or datum s specify tool position relative to three distinct references The following text explains these references Datum When referencing DATUM the datum point is established by fixed sensors in the mechanics and is located as follows Datum Location X Datum Extreme left with positive values to the right Y Datum Extreme rear with positive values going back Z Datum Extreme top with positive values going down Origin When referencing ORIGIN the machine origin 0 0 0 position is initialized to the datum point and then updated by the X Y Z Limit Offsets Machine Origin Location X axis X axis DATUM X Limit Offset Y axis Y axis DATUM Y Limit Offset Z axis Z axis DATUM Z Limit Offset Home When referencing HOME the home position
57. e related to the operation of the datum limit sensors X Limit Offset This option sets the location of the physical machine ORIGIN with respect to DATUM in the X axis in INCHES or MM according to the measurement units defined below After a DATUM operation the tool is automatically moved to the ORIGIN Default is 0 unless set at factory Y Limit Offset This option sets the location of the physical machine ORIGIN with respect to DATUM in the Y axis in INCHES or MM according to the measurement units defined below After a DATUM operation the tool is automatically moved to the ORIGIN Default is 0 Z Limit Offset This option sets the location of the physical machine ORIGIN with respect to DATUM in the Z axis in INCHES or MM according to the measurement units defined below After a DATUM operation the tool is automatically moved to the ORIGIN Default is 0 05 in 1 27 mm Limit Mask This option sets the limit mask which is a value describing which table limits are active on the machine and which are not Typical values are additive Limit Mask Setting Meaning 0 No limits active 1 X axis limit only 2 Y axis limit only 4 Z axis limit only 8 X Cyl limit active 64 Over travel Example To enable limits for X Y and Z Limit Mask 1 2 4 7 If the limit mask shows that a particular axis limit is ACTIVE then bounds checking is enabled for that axis otherwis
58. eated each time you press the Enter key Select the Tool Box command from the Execute Menu If using a controlled Z spindle be sure to carefully set the appropriate depth Verify all the toolbox settings and click OK Click on OK to complete the process 26 2 5 Executing the Work File To begin engraving the work file Position a piece of material on the table appropriate size Jog the tool into position over the upper left portion of the material In JLS select the Machine command from the Execute Menu Click on the OK button to transmit the work file for engraving When the START LED flashes press the Start button If using a controlled Z spindle set the material surface ae ak e Verify that the controller menu shows Digitize Surface e Hold the central Z key and carefully jog the tool down until the point just touches the material surface e Press the Digitize key Notes During job transmission the START LED will blink at medium speed Motion Mechanic must be closed if APEX JLS is used to direct drive the APEX HPGL controller 27 Chapter Ill Operations 3 1 Control Panel Operations This section details the control panel operations for the HPGL controller Some control panel keys have dual function based on the current mode of operation when the key is pressed Numeric Data Entry Entering numbers for the purpose of defining operating characteristics of the controller is achieved by
59. ecuting Running Symptom Spindle moves after pressing Drives This typically happens on older HP2 controllers because datum s limits have been enabled in the setup If datum s are enabled pressing Drives on older HP2 controllers causes the system to datum To correct this problem start MACHINE PARAMETERS access the Datum Parameters and set the Limit Mask to 0 to disable datum sensors Symptom Cannot repeat VST search This is typically due to pressing the VST key to repeat the search instead of using the proper key sequence 107 To correct this problem use the proper key sequence which varies depending on the current search operation See Chapter 3 for details Symptom Spindle bridge makes a small jerk when idle This is caused by a built in power saver feature in the HPGL controller and is NOT an error The original tool position is restored immediately prior to jogging or executing the next work WRK file no positioning is lost Symptom Cannot digitize the material surface This problem can occur if Enter or Cancel is pressed immediately after positioning the tool instead of pressing the Digitize button Alternatively this error may occur if one attempt to define the material surface is outside of the specified machine limits for the Z axis To correct this problem revise the Z axis machine limits to match the application See the Z Spindle manual for details
60. em may slow down slightly prior to resuming motion on the new trajectory but it will not STOP Vertex Angle a Default is 0 2500 86 6 5 Rates Menu To access the Rates Parameters click on Rates Parameters located in the left pane of Machine Parameters These parameters are established for each axis in the system WARNING The following settings are the recommended settings for use with Newing Hall systems Any variation may cause stalling and could effect the operation and longevity Defaults are listed in the form X Y Z Minimum Velocity This option sets the minimum velocity Vm cutting or traversing for the current axis Units are in user units per second in sec or mm sec Default is 0 100 0 100 0 100 inches sec 7 62 7 62 2 54 mm sec Maximum Velocity This option sets the maximum velocity Vm cutting or traversing for the current axis Units are in user units per second in sec or mm sec Default is 4 00 4 00 1 00 inches sec 102 102 25 mm sec This parameter is particularly influential for long straight motion sequences Acceleration This option sets the acceleration A during traversing tool up for the current axis Units are in user units per second per second in sec or mm sec See also Contouring Acceleration above Default is 30 0 30 0 20 0 inches sec 1270 1270 508mm sec This parameter is particularly influential for long straight motion sequences and intense vector sequ
61. ences such as high resolution HPGL jobs Vertex Acceleration This option sets the Vertex Acceleration factor Fy a coefficient multiplier which controls how much the system will slow down through minor turns nearly straight motion Increasing this factor will increase the speed through the minor turns Decreasing it will decrease the speed through the minor turns See Vertex Angle in the previous section Default is 1 0 1 0 30 0 inches 645 6450 19355 mm This parameter is particularly influential for transitions through polygon and spline sequences 87 Reverse Percentage This option sets the Reverse Percentage factor Fr a coefficient multiplier which controls when the system must decelerate to a complete STOP and pause to let the machine settle before continuing on This occurs when reversing direction such as executing the character N Increasing this factor will decrease potential for a complete stop with pause when reversing direction See Vertex Angle parameter in the previous section Reverse Percentage Meaning 1 0 Pause on 180 turns ONLY 0 5 Pause on 135 180 turns 0 0 Pause on 90 180 turns Default is 0 60 0 60 1 00 Minimum Jog Velocity This option sets the minimum velocity for jogging for the current axis Units are in user units per second in sec or mm sec Default is 0 10 0 10 0 10 inches sec 7 62 7 62 5 mm sec Maximum Jog Velocity This option sets th
62. ext to discover the HPGL controller 9 After scanning the network it will display the HGPL controllers located on the network 17 Verify Machine Tool The following new Machine Tools have been detected IP Address W4 NHI0375 7667 192 168 101 150 You may select or unselect the Machine Tools listed above by clicking on the desired line item Once you have selected which Machine Tools you wish to add a connection to click the FINISH button below Clear All Cancel 10 Highlight the controller and press Finish Note Every controller has a unique number This number is the last four digits of the controller s serial number Note The controllers IP address can be set by DHCP or manually If the IP address is set manually the user can set the IP address from the controllers menu Otherwise the IP address will be set at the time of installing a new machine tool 11 Highlight the newly made connection and select properties 18 Machine Tool Properties The following Machine Tools are set up on this computer lt iil gt Remove Properties Test IP Help Close 3 9 10 2 12 Select the Machine Info Database for this connection The Machine Info Database is called advanced mdb and is typically located c apex hpgl NHIO375 7667 Properties T NHI0375 7667 Rename MIP Address 192 168 101 150 OK Cancel Machine Info Database C Mapex HPGL a
63. f your way as you use your PC workstation for other applications During normal operation it sets unobtrusively in the Windows System Tray When you are ready to perform machine tool management tasks a click of the mouse on that icon brings up a menu of options to access the various operations fe Job Server Job Server Icon mg Th 9 20AM Job Server icon in the system tray The Job Server Program Settings dialog can be found by right clicking on the Job Server icon in the Windows System Tray During initial setup Windows XP with SP2 may display one or more of the following firewall messages Windows Security Alert P To help protect your computer Windows Firewall has blocked some features of this program Do you want to keep blocking this program hf Name Machine Tool Utility Publisher ExtraT ech Corporation Keep Blocking Unblock Ask Me Later Windows Firewall has blocked this program from accepting connections from the Internet or a network IF you recognize the program or trust the publisher you can unblock it When should unblock a program Select Unblock to dismiss the dialog box 48 JobServer Settings Job History Database Clear Job History Repair Database Project File fe Apex HPGLHP4ETC ed Settings File Extensions HPGL plt hpl CNC enc Native uci Binary Ime F Auto Preview on Job Info F Launch JobMonitor on Startup Host Data Capture Capture Input I Capture Output
64. g testing turn the adjustment screw on the top of the spindle air cylinder to adjust the down travel speed see Chapter 1 in the JLS User s Manual for more detail Press the Test Sol button again to exit the test mode 21 1 3 Installing the APEX Product Software The APEX Product Software is distributed on a single CD It has an automated installation process that makes installation fast and easy It is also possible to download the APEX Product software of other components via the Newing Hall web site at the following address www newing hall com To install the APEX Product Software 1 Start the host computer and then start Windows 2 Insert the CD into the CD ROM drive The remaining instructions assume that the CD 8 9 ROM is drive d but you can substitute any other drive designation In Windows 9x Windows NT 4 x Windows 2000 and Windows XP from the start menu select RUN Note If installing on Windows NT it may be required that the administrator install the APEX Product Software depending on user rights Select the RUN command In the space provided type d setup Enter After a short pause Install Shield will guide you through the installation process Note The installation process is 32 bit and will not install on Windows 3 x Enter accept the default destination path It is recommended to use the default destination path c APEX Read the README file at the start of t
65. h the status bar for the progress indicator during the download NOTE The INIT file must match the firmware and revision of the board inside the controller H971 rev 3 HP4INI 2 80 H971 rev 3 UC H971 rev 4B HP4INI 3 16 H971 rev 4B UC K520 rev 1 5 HP4INI 3 28 K520 UC 7 When finished the controller will re boot with the new control files loaded Go on to the Exit procedure Exit Power On Self Test l Watch the Terminal window to observe the boot up sequence This consists of a number of statements including the firmware version number available RAM memory etc This display completes with the HPGL command which is an indication that the controller is now going into HPGL mode no further messages should display If the boot up sequence displays errors then one of the steps above was not successful or there is a mismatch between versions of the programmed files During the power on self test POST the controller s LED indicators begin lighting with the right most LED and proceeding to the left At the end of the POST all the LED s will go out and the Running LED should blink This indicates that the controller is ready for operation and the user should now be able to turn on drive power by pressing the Drives key Symptom One or more axes spontaneously reversing This is typically caused by a component failure on the motor driver circuit board Chattering can also manifest it especial
66. he procedure to get additional information about the version of APEX Product Software that you are installing Answer the questions prompted by Install Shield When completed Install Shield will prompt to reboot the computer if necessary NOTE Install Shield auto configures all software during the installation no other configuration should be necessary 22 Chapter II Quick Start 2 1 Turning on System Power CAUTION Please refer to Chapter I Installation for instructions to assemble the system and connect the cables before turning on the power to the APEX HPGL controller The power switch is located on the back of the controller on the left side when viewed from the back Press the switch to turn on the power After a few moments the POWER LED will light and the START LED will flash indicating that the HPGL controller is ready 23 2 2 System Checkout To verify that the system is operating correctly Bo o le A Verify all cable connections as described in the previous chapter Turn the controller ON and wait for the START LED to blink Gently rotate the Emergency Stop button clockwise to disengage it Press the Drives On button to enable motion on the table Press the Jog keys moving the carriage in all directions in order to verify system operation If the table has Datum s fitted press the Datum key The system should move to Datum and park 24 2 3 JLS Software Setup The follow
67. ied o HODPRAM UC Models 240 300 400 600 no Datum s Pneumatic spindle s o H2DPRAM UC Models 240 300 400 600 X Y Datum s Pneumatic spindle s o H3DZRAM UC Models 240 300 400 600 X Y Z Datum s controlled Z spindle 104 o S53DZRAM UC Model 500 X Y Z Datum s controlled Z spindle o 73DZRAM UC Model 700 X Y Z Datum s controlled Z spindle 7 When finished the controller will have the new machine setup parameters file loaded but no control files Go on to Level 3 105 Level 3 Ne Using the mouse click the File Cabinet button on the toolbar In the Controller Location field select 1 SelfTest File Locate and select the desired self test UC file such as HP4SELF UC and click Open Self test files always have SELF in their name Watch the status bar for the progress indicator during the download Using the mouse click the File Cabinet button on the toolbar In the Controller Location field select 20 File Location 20 Locate and select the file HP4UNITS UC and click Open This file is used to convert the units via the pendant Watch the status bar for the progress indicator during the download Using the mouse Click the File Cabinet button on the toolbar In the Controller Location field select U User Init File Locate and select the desired user INIT UC file such as HP4INI 3 28 K520 UC and click Open Init files always have INI in their name Watc
68. ified in the program settings The user will then be able to double click on a job file name that has one of the specified extensions and Job Previewer will start and load the job file automatically For more detailed information please see the Job Previewer online help 91 Chapter VIII Job Reporter Job Reporter displays and prints reports of historical job information The DNC component of Job Server keeps a log of job information in the Job History Database The database is in Microsoft Access format MDB Job Reporter uses the Seagate Crystal Reports application to generate professionally formatted previews and printed reports of recorded job data ree 1 Job Reporter g JobReporter JobReporter File Edit View Help OE 18 R Eo January 2006 February 2006 gt i Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 5 3 4 11 1 D gt 3 4 6 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 8 9 10 11 12 13 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 3 15 16 17 18 19 20 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 22 23 24 25 26 27 26 27 28 5129 30 31 Z Today 1 2 2006 Starting 1 5 2006 JobName Browse Job Status Report Type i Daily Report Ending 1 5 2006 vY C Weekly Report For Help press F1 NUM SCRL 8 1 Operation Overview The primary function of Job Reporter is to create professionally formatted reports of job data that has been collected by the DNC component of Job Server A report can be viewed on screen through the Print Preview feature or it can be printed out
69. ile menu select the Print Setup command Set the Specific Printer to HP7475A Design the drawing In CorelDraw select the Print command from the File menu On the APEX HPGL press the Start button 64 4 3 Using CASMate for Windows To setup CASMate for use with the APEX HPGL follow these steps Connect the APEX HPGL Turn on the host computer and APEX HPGL Start Microsoft Windows Start CASMate From the misc menu select the Setup command Choose the specific driver APEXHP2D or APEXHP3D Configure the driver as follows Ovi SS o a COMM Port 1 or 2 as desired Baud Rate 57600 Parity Even Data Bits 8 Stop Bits 1 Hex Hardware Interrupt 4 Hardware Handshake X RTS X CTS 8 Set the Resolution to 1000 and then click on OK to complete the configuration 9 Design the drawing 10 In CASMate print plot the drawing by clicking on the Plot icon 11 On the APEX HPGL press the Start button Note On some versions of CASMate the drivers will not communicate at 38400 It may be necessary to contact CASMate 800 866 6227 to update the driver or call Newing Hall customer service to change the baud rate on the controller HP2 HP3 ONLY Note CASMATE fixes the HOME position at the lower left corner of the job 65 4 4 Using SignLab v3 2 for Windows To setup SignLab for use with the APEX HPGL follow these steps aaa eS 10 11 Connect the AP
70. in the HP3 controller To define a pre set access the HP3 s menu system as follows 1 Press Enter to activate the menu system 2 Scroll the menu to select the Define Preset Home command and press Enter 3 Scroll the list of pre sets to highlight the desired position 4 Press Enter to select the desired pre set 5 Jog the tool to the desired home location if necessary watching the LCD for precise coordinates 6 Press Set Home to define and select the desired pre set 7 Press Cancel to exit the menu system 8 Press Go Home to drive the tool to the new Home position If a pre set has not been defined specifically it defaults to 0 0 0 or the DATUM position To use a pre set access the HP3 s menu system as follows Press Enter to activate the menu system Scroll the menu to select the Load Preset Home command and press Enter Scroll the list of pre sets to highlight the desired position Press Set Home to load the new Home position Press Cancel to exit the menu system Press Go Home to drive the tool to the new Home position oe e These pre set menu functions are only available if X amp Y DATUMS are defined on the controller and if the user is NOT in cylindrical mode 62 Chapter IV Software Setup 4 1 Using APEX JLS APEX JLS is the very good software package for driving the APEX HPGL as an engraving controller This is because it has the following feature
71. ince the job files are stored in flash memory no batteries are required to maintain the files in the controller when power is off 51 Local DNC functions similar to the original DNC or Remote DNC a number of requirements must be met to use Local DNC Local DNC Requirements 1 ye Current HP3 Controllers with a K520 CPU board Ethernet port on the back of the controller APEX Product Software Release 01 03 06 Job Server version 3 9 28 0 or higher Installed with APEX Product Software 01 03 06 HP3 Firmware k3c444g bin or higher Installed with APEX Product Software 01 03 06 INIT file version 3 28 or higher Installed with APEX Product Software 01 03 06 Note It will be mandatory to check the versions of firmware and INIT files in the HP3 controller to determine if flashing is necessary Contact Newing Hall support for details Limitations 1 3MB flash space for user files 2 No file size checking exists before storing a job in flash memory The side effect can be lost memory space if a file is larger than available memory space If flash memory space is lost it can be reclaimed by formatting files Operation Enabling Local DNC 1 Turn on the HP3 controller 2 Enter the menu on the HP3 controller by selecting Enter gt CONFIGURATION gt DNC_MODE 3 Select Local and press Enter 4 Exit out of the menu by pressing Cancel 52 Saving a job into Flash Memory Make sure Job Server is running on
72. ing text assumes that the APEX Product Software CD ROM has been installed on the host PC If this has not been done please refer to Chapter 1 To setup APEX JLS software to drive the HPGL consult Chapter 6 Machine Configuration in the APEX Reference Manual The following is a brief summary 1 Select the Setup command from the Execute menu 2 If necessary create an HPGL driver Click on the Add button Enter a group name such as HP2 or HP3 and click OK Click on the Setup button Set the parameters PA Parameter Setting COMM COMM 1 or COMM 2 as desired Baud Rate 57600 Parity Even Data Bits 8 Stop Bits 1 Flow Ctrl Hardware Resolution 1 1000 5 Enter any desired HPGL command codes that should follow after the completion of EACH work file in the Send after edit window usually none 6 Click on OK to complete the definition 3 Click on the Set as Default Machine button 4 Click on the Close button to complete the process 25 2 4 Creating the Work File Consult the APEX Reference Manual for details on operating the JLS software The following is a summary of how to create a simple job See eS O A Select the New command from the File menu Enter the desired Plate size Height and Width Click on the Simple Job button Select the desired font if necessary Click in the Text window and enter the desired text A new line will be cr
73. ing to the measurement units defined below This is normally done to account for the Z Limit Offset Default is 1 00 in 26 mm Self Test Mode These checkbox options set the method s used for internal self test diagnostics Perform KDM Test Keypad operation Perform Cartesian Motion Test X Y movement Perform Origin Test Homing datum Perform Spindle ON OFF Test Spindle actuation Controller Language Boot Mode This option sets the language protocol for transmitted jobs Options are e uCito native protocol e HPGL protocol default e CNC G amp M code protocol 76 Enable Talk_Back in uCito This option enables Talk_Back Enabling the Talk_Back option for uCito jobs will allow the terminal to display the job code as it is being run This is turned off by default so that code will not be shown while running a uCito Native job Feed Rate Factor This option sets the scale factor for velocities entered from the keypad Feed Rate Factor Meaning 1 Inches mm PER SECOND default 60 Inches mm PER MINUTE Enable Feed Rate This checkbox option enables disables the feed rate override knob on the controller front panel Default is enabled Enable VS Command Enabling the VS command allows VS in HPGL VS allows changes to the cut speed programmatically Values set in jobs are reset when a new job starts VS60 is considered to be 100 of cut speed Note This option is useful if it is preferred to use
74. irect connection from the computer to the HPGL controller is possible This involves one network interface card in the computer or laptop and a special network cable called a crossover cable that plugs directly into the HPGL controller A crossover cable is necessary if you connect two network devices without the use of a hub or switch The diagram below will illustrate this Crossover CAT 5 Cable Computer HPGL Controller Direct Connection Cable Wiring Both types of network cables crossover amp straight though can be purchased at computer supply locations It is also possible to create your own cables if you have the supplies and equipment Below are the pin outs for the crossover amp straight through cables Crossover Cable Pin Pin Orange VVhite 1 1 Green White Orange J 2 Green Green White 3 3 Orange White Blue 4 4 Blue Blue White 5 5 Blue White Green 6 6 Orange Brown White 7 T Brown White Brown 8 8 Brown Notes Hold the RJ45 connector with the clip on the bottom Have the opening facing you Standard Patch Cable Orange White Orange Green White Blue Blue Yyhite Green Brown White Brown Oy on B wha CO yD HB Wp oa Software Setup Once the HPGL controller is physically connected to a HUB or directly to the controller using a crossover cable the software environment must be set The following example uses a crossover cable directly connected to the pe and controller NOT EVERY POSSIBLE CONFIG
75. is initialized to the machine origin and can be reset at any time by jogging the tool 3 axis to the desired HOME position and pressing Set Home Home Location X axis As specified by Set Home with positive values to the right Y axis As specified by Set Home with positive values going back Zaxis As specified by Set Home with positive values going down HOME is assumed to be the start point of the job APEX JLS users may specify HOME relative to several places on the job All other software assumes HOME to be located at the LOWER LEFT corner Note The HOME position is actually a soft ORIGIN 0 0 0 reference point It is this soft origin that is referenced by the motion program HPGL CNC As such ALL jobs are executed relative to this position regardless of the actual position on the table bed Thus the user should ALWAYS Set Home prior to sending a job 89 Chapter VII Previewer Job Previewer enables the user to graphically preview job files before the machine executes them Job files can be in one of several formats HPGL Hewlett Packard Graphics Language CNC Computer Numerical Control UCJ uCito Job native format and Raster files of limited types The first time Job Previewer runs it checks the Program Settings for file extensions that have been associated with it at the Windows system level If the extension on the file that the user wants to open is not associated
76. ished the controller will have new firmware loaded but no control files and no machine setup parameters this is equivalent to running the update bat utility in the previous DOS tools Go on to Level 2 Important The latest HPGL K520 board no longer lets the user delete the firmware The controller deletes firmware internally only when it receives its new firmware in memory and verifies its checksum Level 2 r Verify that the Terminal applet is still running Motion Mechanic Terminal displayed in title bar If it is not running select the Terminal command from the Tools Menu Strike the F4 key on the keypad then type 145 and press Enter to initiate a controller re boot without INIT file Record any error messages displayed during the boot sequence for use later From the keyboard type format_files and press Enter This will erase any control files currently resident in the system From the keyboard type format_params and press Enter This will erase any machine setup parameters currently resident in the system Using the mouse click the File Cabinet button on the toolbar In the Controller Location field select P Machine Parameters Locate and select the desired machine setup UC file such as HODPRAM UC and click Open Machine Setup files always have RAM in their name Watch the status bar for the progress indicator during the download The following standard setup files are suppl
77. it is sent to allow time to load unload material move home etc JobQueue Queue Information Name ay 7 New Remove Job Files Contained in Queue Seq Reps Fixture Job Name lt gt Add Edit Delete Up Down Database where JobQueues are stored c Program Files Newing Hall Inc Machine Tools Ey Status Inactive Execute this JobQueue Note The motion controller must have Firmware Version 3 41 or greater installed to utilize this component Job Queue Window Opposite from the DNC feature Job Queue is driven from the host PC A predefined list of job files is pushed to the controller from the host PC via the Job Queue window 58 JobQueue Cc JobQueue Queue Information Name Matrix New Remove Job Files Contained in Queue Reps Fixture Job Name 1 0 C Apex DNCFiles ET 2 0 C Apex DNCFiles CP lt gt Add Edit Delete Up Down Database where JobQueues are stored fC Program Files Newing Hall Inc Machine Tools wl Status Inactive Execute this JobQueue Queue Name This field displays the active job queue and allows the user to select from the existing list of available previously defined job queues Execute this Job Queue Add Sends the currently selected Job Queue File to the controller Depending on the controller configuration and Job Queue File format a queue of jobs will be displayed from the pendant keypad w
78. ith display Once this button is clicked the machine operator is all set to execute the displayed jobs from the pendant Add opens a Job Queue Item dialog box Click Add Input the Repetitions the newly added job file will execute If your machine uses Fixtures enter the fixture number you want the job to be run with or leave it as 1 Input the path and job file including extension in the Job Name edit box OR click the browse button to the right of the Job Name edit box This will open the Job File dialog box The user can browse the host PC s drives with the combo box at the top of the dialog box or use the up folder icon to proceed up the file system hierarchy There is a file filter combo box located at the bottom of the dialog box that controls the type of files to be displayed in the dialog box By default all files will display Once the appropriate file has been located select the file and click Open or double click the filename to open it Click OK That job file is now added to Queue Items 59 Delete Delete removes a particular Job File from the Queue Items display Select the Job File to be deleted Click Delete Click Yes or No as appropriate The Job File record is removed Note The Delete option will REMOVE a Job File from the Job Queue File It does not delete the Job File from the host PC Sequence Sequence is maintained by the application solely and is not available to the operator Th
79. like any normal Windows document The steps in the process of creating a report are presented below 1 Collect the data When jobs are run on a machine tool the DNC component of Job Server records many items of information about every job that runs Once some history of executed jobs is generated then Job Reporter can be used to review and or report that history 2 Enter the Program Settings In the File Menu select the Settings option File gt Settings The Shift Information needs to be set to match the time frame of your company s operation cycles The Report Settings need you to specify three important items the folder directory where the template report files that Job Reporter uses to format the reports are kept the name and folder directory of the Job History Database log file 92 and the Report Title that will appear at the top of every report See the Program Settings section for additional information 3 Specify the Report Criteria The Report Options just below the Calendar Control provide for the input and display of the Criteria used in gathering information from the Job History Database The time range shown in the Starting and Ending input boxes can be input in any of three ways use the Calendar Control type the dates directly in or click on the small buttons on the right side of the Starting and Ending input boxes to reveal another calendar click on the date The Job Name input box is used as a filter for the file
80. lt arc angle gt gt parameter defines the angle of rotation in degrees A positive angle produces an arc in the counterclockwise direction and a negative angle produces a clockwise arc Arc Relative AR The AR command draws an arc using relative coordinates from the current position of the tool around the specified center Syntax AR lt lt x gt gt lt lt y gt gt lt lt arc angle gt gt The lt lt x gt gt and lt lt y gt gt parameters define the relative coordinates of the center of the arc in plotter units The lt lt arc angle gt gt parameter defines the angle of rotation in degrees A positive angle produces an arc in the counterclockwise direction and a negative angle produces a clockwise arc Initialize IN The IN command resets the controller to its default settings Syntax IN Plot Absolute PA The PA command places the controller in absolute plotting mode and moves the tool to the specified absolute coordinates using the current tool position 69 Syntax PA lt lt x gt gt lt lt y gt gt Or PA which places controller in absolute plot mode The lt lt x gt gt and lt lt y gt gt parameters define the absolute coordinates of the destination for the move s in plotter units More than one X Y pair may be specified before the colon for execution in sequence If no coordinate pairs are specified the controller is placed in absolute plotting mode but no movement is generated
81. ly when the machine is idle Replacing the board or repairing the board at the factory can only remedy this problem Contact NHI Customer Service for further direction 106 Symptom Table spontaneously stops amid job This problem can be caused by a broken connection in the communication serial cable or by a corrupted work file WRK from the JLS engraving software Review these first when troubleshooting this problem Otherwise this problem can be caused by a component failure on the CPU circuit board If so the problem can only be remedied by replacing the board or repairing the board at the factory Contact NHI Customer Service for further direction Symptom Spindle motor spontaneously stops amid job This is typically caused by a component failure on the KBLC speed control usually a blown fuse Checking and replacing the fuses on the KBLC speed control board can remedy this problem Contact NHI Customer Service for further direction Symptom LED s on front panel blinking Consult Chapter 3 for complete details on condition LED s The following is a summary START LED Condition Steady Off No action error Slow Blink Engraving Paused Press Start to resume Medium Blink Ready To Start Press Start to begin Fast Blink No Job Available to execute After pressing Start Fast Blink at power up Drives Disabled Check cabling pullout E Stop switch Press Drives On Steady On Ex
82. n Symptom Drives will not turn ON when pressing Drives This is typically caused by a connection problem in the power circuit e Controller not turned on via the main power switch 100 e Motor Driver cable 25 pin not connected and secured e Emergency Stop button engaged e Loose wiring inside the controller on the Emergency Stop button To correct this problem resolve the common causes above and try again If the problem persists contact NHI Customer Service Symptom Table does not datum when pressing Datum This is typically due to the datum s not being enabled in the machine setup To correct this problem start Machine Parameters locate the Datum Parameters and set the Limit Mask to 3 for X Y sensors or 7 for X Y Z sensors If the Z travels in the wrong direction Power off and switch the Z Datum connection on the spindle Symptom Table does not engrave when pressing Start This can result from a number of factors e No job has been sent from the host software e The job was previously cancelled e The job is too large to restart To correct this problem verify that a job has actually been sent from the host PC Pressing Start when no valid job is available causes the system to flash the START LED rapidly for several seconds Also canceling a job requires that it be re transmitted from the host PC to run again Pressing Start immediately after canceling a job will cause the START LED to flash r
83. n or Datum point This function is only applicable for engraving tables with datum sensors fitted either integral or add on Drives Key The Drives key activates the internal power circuitry which delivers power to the internal stepper motor drives the rotary spindle drive and the solenoids The Drives key must be pressed immediately after power on and after using the Emergency Stop button in order to re activate power to the system to allow it to engrave VST 0 Key The VST key activates the HPGL controller s Vector Search Technology in order to backup or skip through a job This function searches for the nearest vector point in the job and re starts engraving at that point To use the VST follow this procedure while running a job 1 Press Stop The START LED blinks slowly 2 Jog the tool to the desired restart location 3 Press the VST key 31 4 If the search was successful the tool will snap to the new vector the START LED will resume a slow blink indicating that a vector was found and the controller is ready 5 Press Start to resume execution at the new point See section 3 4 Vector Search Technology for details VST Key This key has two functions The first function The VST key re activates the HPGL controller s Vector Search Technology if the initial search was unsuccessful To use the VST follow this procedure while running a job Press Stop The START LED blinks slowly J
84. n respectively HP3 controllers only On HP3 controllers the Jog Keys also navigate the on board menu system See the next section for details Jog Turbo Key Pressing Jog Turbo while holding one of the directional jog keys causes the tool to move much faster than the normal jog rate This is useful for traversing a large distance over the work material Start Key Pressing the Start key causes the APEX HPGL to begin executing the program in memory The Start key can be used to start a job from the beginning or to re start the job from its current position after stopping see below Stop Key Pressing the Stop key causes tool motion to stop Stopping is controlled and so positional accuracy and Home is retained Press the Start key to resume motion Cyl Flat Key Pressing the Cyl Flat key causes the APEX HPGL to switch internally between its standard flat X axis and its rotary axis After pressing the Cyl Flat key the cylindrical LED will light indicating that the controller is in cylindrical mode Pressing it again switches the controller back to flat mode and the light is disabled Cancel Key The Cancel key removes the current program from the APEX HPGL s memory This does not reset or erase its HOME position so the Go To Home key can still be used after the job is cancelled After canceling a job pressing the Start key results in no movement and all remnants of previous programs are erased
85. n Extended Warranty it must be ordered prior to the expiration of the previous warranty period if the unit is so covered Non Warranty Service Repair service work not covered under warranty will be performed with charges for labor and parts The labor charge is Seventy Five Dollars 80 00 per hour with a two hour minimum labor charge All freight charges for both Field Service Controllers and customer controllers are the responsibility of the customer for all NON warranty repairs Charges for Field Service Units are payable in advance or COD Priority is given to customers covered under Warranty if sufficient Field Service Units are not available to meet demand 110
86. n c APEX HPGLIADYANCED MDB 5 Press ok to dismiss the popup If you see the following dialog press Unblock to allow the program to search the network Windows Security Alert To help protect your computer Windows Firewall has blocked some features of this program Do you want to keep blocking this program Name Run a DLL as an pp Publisher Microsoft Corporation Keep Blocking Unblock Ask Me Later Windows Firewall has blocked this program from accepting connections from the Internet or a network If you recognize the program or trust the publisher you can unblock it When should unblock a program 6 Inthe Machine Tool Properties also located in the control panel press Add to add a new Ethernet connection 16 Machine Tool Properties The following Machine Tools are set up on this computer s i gt Add Remove Properties Test IP Help Close 3 9 10 2 7 After you press the Add button a search dialog box will be displayed x Install New Machine Tool Windows will now try to detect your Machine Tool Before continuing you should 1 Make sure the Machine Tool is attached to your computer and it is turned on 2 Quit any running applications that may be using the Machine Tool i e Connection Manager Click Next when you are ready to continue I Don t detect my Machine Tool will select it from a list Back Cancel 8 Press N
87. ndexing mode see Fourth Axis Indexing above Default is disabled Delay When Switching This option sets the delay in milliseconds employed to allow the flat Cyl axis to switch and any associated operations clamping braking to complete Default is O ms Solenoid ON Delay Down Dwell This option sets the Down Dwell delay in milliseconds employed to allow the pneumatic spindle to cut down to depth before proceeding No X Y motion is executed during this delay Default is 250 msec Solenoid OFF Delay Up Dwell This option sets the Up Dwell delay in milliseconds employed to allow the pneumatic spindle to retract to full clearance before proceeding No X Y motion is executed during this delay Default is 100 msec Aux ON Delay This option sets the delay in milliseconds employed to allow the AUX outputs to turn ON and begin operating No X Y motion is executed during this delay Default is 0 msec Aux OFF Delay This option sets the delay in milliseconds employed to allow the AUX outputs to turn OFF and cease operating No X Y motion is executed during this delay Default is 0 msec Tool Cut Speed This option sets the base feed rate during cutting Units are user units per second in sec or mm sec Default is 4 0 inches sec 102 mm sec Tool Cut Depth This option sets the depth of cut below the established material surface Units are user units in or mm Default is 0 01 inches 0 25 mm 83
88. ntroller must be re Flashed using Motion Mechanic Contact NHI Customer Service for further details Symptom LED s are not powered on the table Check to make sure the controller is on Is the table equipped with LED s Is the datum cable plugged in at the controller and table The power for the LED s are delivered via the datum cable Re Flashing the HP2 HP3 Controller The following instructions are organized in stages or levels in order to provide appropriate updates for typical situations without requiring the operator to endure the risk and hassle of a complete controller re FLASH if it is not needed Note that simply re Flashing the controller is not always the best course of action Problems can result from a hardware component failure or procedural error and in these cases re Flashing 102 will only complicate matters If you have any questions about the appropriate course of action TELEPHONE NHI CUSTOMER SERVICE for advise immediately Re Flashing the controller can be effective but it can also cause problems if the wrong diagnosis is made or the stepwise procedure is not followed diligently Once it is decided to undertake an update procedure use the following guide to determine what kind of update should be done Symptom Condition Update Comments Product refinement or bug fix Level 1 Level 1 is the MOST extensive re FLASH including a new firmware version operation and is potentially e g h
89. og the tool to the desired restart location Press the VST key If the search was unsuccessful the controller will issue a fast blink sequence and then stop blinking altogether 5 Press Start to resume the search from another position 6 Press VST 7 Go back to step 2 eae ae This key will delete Local DNC jobs while in the Local DNC menu To delete a job in the controllers flash memory Enter Local DNC by pressing DNC on the controllers front panel Using the curser select the job you wish to delete Pressing the VST key will delete the job A confirmation will be displayed to verify deletion of the selected job Press Enter to delete or Cancel to abort Feed Rate Control The Feed Rate control is a rotary dial that establishes the maximum feed rate for engraving Turning the dial counter clockwise reduces the feed rate and turning the dial clockwise increases the feed rate The Feed Rate control may be operated during motion to fine tune the tool speed for optimal engraving Spindle Speed Control The Spindle Speed control is a rotary dial that establishes the RPM speed of the rotary motor Turning the dial counter clockwise reduces the RPM all the way to full stop at the extreme counter clockwise position Turning the dial fully clockwise sets the RPM to maximum speed The Spindle Speed control may be operated during motion to fine tune the spindle speed for optimal engraving 32 Emergency Stop Button The
90. ollowing Machine Tools are set up on this computer lt gt Test IP Help Close v3 9 10 2 14 After you press the Add button a search dialog box will be displayed 12 Install New Machine Tool x Windows will now try to detect your Machine Tool Before continuing you should 1 Make sure the Machine Tool is attached to your computer and it is turned on 2 Quit any running applications that may be using the Machine Tool i e Connection Manager Click Next when you are ready to continue I Don t detect my Machine Tool will select it from a list Back Cancel 15 Press Next to discover the HPGL controller 16 After scanning the network it will display the HGPL controllers located on the network Verify Machine Tool The following new Machine Tools have been detected IP Address W4 NHI0375 7667 192 168 1 10 You may select or unselect the Machine Tools listed above by clicking on the desired line item Once you have selected which Machine Tools you wish to add a connection to click the FINISH button below Clear All Bach Cancel 17 Highlight the controller and press Finish Note Every controller has a unique number This number is the last four digits of the controller s serial number 13 Note The controllers IP address can be set by DHCP or manually If the IP address is set manually the user can set the IP address from the controllers menu
91. out first consulting your technical support representative Save Changes Yes No 21 The HPGL controller is now configured with an IP address and now is ready to be used by Job Server For information regarding Job Server consult the online help Example 2 Network Connection Example Configuration using a switch or hub DHCP enabled Turn on the Computer and HPGL controller Verify the Link light is on the PC or HUB If DHCP is enabled the controller will have received an IP address from the DHCP server To verify this select Enter from the controller followed by Ethernet Settings Select Display IP If the controller received an IP address it will be shown Press Cancel three times to exit the menu system 3 Install APEX Product Software and Select the Ethernet Connection under HP3 If APEX Product Software is already installed open the Machine Tools applet in the control panel to setup a machine connection 4 At the very end of the APEX Product Software installation a dialog box will pop up reminding you to select a DBI database once the Ethernet connection is made The DBI database is typically located in the c apex hpgl directory The name of the file is advanced mdb NF 15 APEX Product Software InstallShield Wizard 3 The HPGL Ethernet connection must now be established After detecting the Ethernet HPGL controller be sure to select a Machine Info Database The Machine Info Database is typically located i
92. rance This tolerance is the diameter of a circular search area centered at the tool point when the VST key is pressed a pa o Usage Start Machine Parameters Select the Table Parameters located on the left pane Locate the Restart Tolerance field Enter the new restart tolerance in inches i e 0 125 inches Exit Machine Parameters save changes to disk and to the controller While running a job depress the Stop key This causes the START LED to blink slowly indicating that the HPGL controller is ready 1 Jog the tool into position over the desired restart location The START LED blinks slowly during the normal jog mode The controller uses a double blink pattern during jogging after a VST see below After positioning the tool at the desired restart point press the VST key The controller searches for the closest matching point in the job If the work file is long this may take a while Ifa matching point is found the controller will immediately move the tool to the precise restart location and the START LED will revert to a slow blink Do ONE of the following e Press Start to start from the current location The LED will go on steady and engraving will begin from the new start point e Press the UP arrow jog key to search for the next matching location within the search area e Press Job Cancel to abort the vector search e Press VST jog the tool to a new search position and then
93. re is stored The Show Job Monitor every time a job executes option brings up the Job Monitor component so the user can watch the machine s progress on a graphical display of the job being performed See the Job Monitor section of this help file for more information 50 3 7 Distributed Numerical Control DNC Local and Remote Remote DNC The HP3 controller features a DNC mode that allows the user to load jobs stored on the host computer directly from the controller s front panel To use the DNC feature 1 Start Job Server by clicking on its icon in the APEX Product Software window 2 Right mouse click the Job Server icon in the system tray then select DNC Note It is not necessary to have the DNC open during the usage of the DNC component It is mandatory Job Server is running in the system tray tr A A J amp d Jj Display files from this folder lc Apex DNCFiles Ps Status l Inactive Reset DNC Pendant View 3 On the HP3 controller press DRIVES 4 Jog the tool to the Home position then press Set Home 5 On the HP3 controller press DNC 6 Use the ft and X keys to select the desired job file name 7 Press Start to begin the job or Enter to view the job file stats Local DNC Local DNC is a new feature that allows users to store job files in flash memory of the HP3 controller This allows users the ability to keep jobs in the controller between power cycles S
94. rrrrererereseeerrrrereeere 81 6 4 Machine Resolution Motion Params Menu sceeceeceeee eee e nets ene eeae eae 85 6 3 Rates WIC 523 ses nants naka nra ence aren E e E A E T EaR 87 6 6 Machine Limits TerminGloey iss nciscudaceszcnendpshediva se nesataseecees teens bavessennsiad neds 89 Chapter 7 Job Previewer TA Operation Overview esc EAE REEE eee ETE EEA TE EAE A oti ey dee wee 90 Chapter 8 Job Reporter 8 1 Operation Overview erriei srno so EEEE ens ceeded odes ee ees aie EE eke 92 Chapter 9 Motion Mechanic 9 1 Operation OVeiview ruc cs oasuteasnate ae yerlatoubnevayatcadernat uae ypaeneruneedanrataateres eee 94 Appendix A Maintenance cece cece eee eee eee ee ee ee ee ease ea ea ea eae a ented 96 Appendix B Cable Hook UD 0c cccccceeee cece eee e eee eee eee eet e nent eens ne eeees 99 Appendix C Troubleshooting 0cccecee eens nett tees eee e eee t eee e ee ee ne eeee nena eee 100 Warranty ocelot tte he ican bien disessnh dae a e sb adoe teat a Aa O e oes 109 Chapter Installation 1 1 Upon Receipt of Shipment Shipping Box Check the shipping box for damage If any damage is found it is important for insurance purposes to indicate this on the freight company s bill of lading before accepting shipment Call Newing Hall s Customer Service at 1 800 521 2615 to report any damage Unpacking Open shipping carton carefully and remove all
95. s built in specifically for engraving Matrix Variable Text Serialization Cylindrical diameter based scaling Rotary spindle motor control enable disable Tool diameter offsets for properly digitized graphics Spindle selection To setup JLS for use with the APEX HPGL follow the guidelines in section 2 3 to 2 5 in Chapter 2 Note When using software other than APEX JLS it is required that all HPGL files transmitted to the controller have the IN command as the first command in the list and the SPO command as the last command in the list 63 4 2 Using CorelDraw ee ge a 9 To add the HP7475A driver to Windows 95 Click on Start to Settings and then click on the Printers icon Click on Add Printer Select the Local Printer option and then click Next Under the Manufacturer list box scroll down to HP and then click on HP7475A Select either COMM Port 1 or COMM Port 2 as desired Click on Configure Port Set the port parameters as follows e Bits per second 57600 e Data bits 8 e Parity Even e Stop bits 1 e Flow Control Hardware Click on Next and then click on No to disable printing to DOS based programs Select the No option to decline a test page and then click Finish To setup CorelDraw for use with the APEX HPGL follow these steps CO ON A E a Connect the APEX HPGL Turn on the host computer and APEX HPGL Start CorelDraw From the F
96. sets the amount of available travel in the Y axis from the DATUM position to the absolute limit of the tool in the Y axis This value is INCHES or MM according to the measurement units defined below Default is the depth of the available engraving area 75 Z Stroke Size This option sets the amount of available travel in the Z axis from the DATUM position to the absolute limit of the tool in the Z axis This is typically the distance from the tool point at DATUM to the surface of the XY table NOT the surface of the work piece This value is INCHES or MM according to the measurement units defined below Default is 1 00 in 26 mm X Negative Stroke This option will set the distance which the tool is permitted to move beyond the machine ORIGIN into the negative X axis in INCHES or MM according to the measurement units defined below This is normally done to account for the X Limit Offset Default is the width of the available engraving area Y Negative Stroke This option will set the distance which the tool is permitted to move beyond the machine ORIGIN into the negative Y axis in INCHES or MM according to the measurement units defined below This is normally done to account for the Y Limit Offset Default is the depth of the available engraving area Z Negative Stroke This option will set the distance which the tool is permitted to move beyond the machine ORIGIN into the negative Z axis in INCHES or MM accord
97. ss Enter Define Pre Set Home This command is available only if datum s are fitted configured on the system It allows the user to establish a pre set at the current tool position to be saved in the controller s non volatile memory for use at a later date Nine independent positions are available Load Pre Set Home This command is available only if datum s are fitted configured on the system It allows the user to load one of 9 previously defined Home positions and drive the tool immediately to that position 37 More detail regarding the pre set Home positions is presented in the Home Positions section at the end of this chapter POS After Datum This command is available only if datum s are fitted configured on the system It allows the user to establish a origin after datuming the controller via the controller s front panel Note Unlike other menu commands POS After Datum makes changes to the NVRAM file making it permanent in the controller s memory This is useful on power up so that POS After Datum does not have to be repeated on every power up Additional Z axis Menu Options Z Cut Depth The Z Cut Depth parameter is the total depth of cut or the distance that the tool penetrates past the surface of the material See below for description of Z Delta Note Drive power must be enabled to access this parameter Z Axis Speed The Z Axis Speed parameter is the down travel feed rate for the Z axis movements Z a
98. t lt x gt gt lt lt y gt gt or PU which merely retracts the tool 70 The lt lt x gt gt and lt lt y gt gt parameters define the coordinates of the destination for the move s in plotter units More than one X Y pair may be specified before the colon for execution in sequence If no coordinate pairs are specified the tool is raised but no movement is generated Either absolute or relative coordinates may be used and are enabled by the previous PA or PR command Set Max Feed SF The SF command sets the max feed rate for the controller see also VS Syntax SF lt lt f gt gt The lt lt f gt gt parameter is the feed rate in mm sec Select Pen SP The SP command activates the specified pen to be used for engraving This actually causes the controller to use the left right or both solenoids to actuate the spindles Syntax SP lt lt n gt gt The lt lt n gt gt is a pen index as follows Index Spindle pen Enabled 1 Left Spindle solenoid 2 Right Spindle solenoid 3 Both Spindle solenoid Note The APEX HPGL requires that the HPGL file transmitted for engraving begin with the IN command and end with the SPO command IN is interpreted as begin job and SPO is interpreted as end of job Jobs transmitted from APEX JLS software are automatically configured to this standard and need not be modified Velocity Select VS The VS command sets the max feed rate for
99. t that they hold There is a fee for replacement of shipping cartons Newing Hall is NOT responsible for equipment damaged in shipping It is suggested that all equipment be returned in an authorized factory carton to insure proper handling during shipment 109 Return Authorization It is necessary to obtain a Return Materials Authorization RMA number from the Customer Service Department Merchandise returned without an RMA number MARKED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SHIPPING CARTON will be REFUSED Telephone Assistance Telephone assistance is provided by the Customer Service Department This department will provide assistance for questions concerning the operation of our equipment including software set up machine adjustments and equipment malfunctions Services are available from 8 00 AM to 6 00 PM Eastern Standard Time Monday through Friday except for holidays To reach this service call 1 800 521 2615 from within the continental United States or 1 419 255 8804 outside the continental United States Extended Warranty An Extended Warranty is available for the controller after the expiration of the Basic Warranty The Extended Warranty provides the same coverage on the Controller as the Basic Warranty The current cost is Eight Hundred Dollars 1000 00 per year An Extended Warranty is not available on any other piece of equipment Proper preventive maintenance of the other components will minimize the need for repair service To implement a
100. the holes in the bracket with the four 4 tapped holes on the bottom of the controller Secure the bracket to the controller making sure that the angle of the bracket post is toward the rear of the controller Assemble the controller arm to the mounting post located to the left rear of the pedestal and secure it with the lever knob Attach the controller to the arm and secure it with the remaining lever knob Mouse Cable Serial Cable Comm 1 or 2 Ethernet Motor Driver Cable Cylindrical Cable opt Cable Connections Be sure that the AC power to the HPGL controller and the host computer is OFF before connecting any cables Connect the cables as follows 1 Connect the 9 pin RS232 cable to the HPGL 9 pin serial port on the back of the controller or use a Ethernet cable to connect to your network or pc if equipped with an Ethernet port on the HPGL controller 2 Connect the remaining end of the 9 pin RS232 cable to the computer s serial port COM 1 or COM2 if using serial 3 Connect the 25 pin Motor Driver cable to the HPGL motor driver port on the back of the controller 4 Connect the remaining end of the 25 pin Motor Driver cable to the NH engraving table 5 Connect the free end connector on the end of the rotary motor power cord to the HPGL rotary motor power connector on the back of the controller Note You can use serial or Ethernet for communications you can not use both THE HPGL CONTROLLER IS
101. the job files are being moved across a busy local area network Activate Hot Watch on startup of Job Server The next time Job Server is started the Hot Watch component will automatically begin watching for files Empty Outbox On Exit causes the file to be deleted after it has been transmitted to the controller Running Hot Watch To run the Hot Watch applet follow these steps 1 Start Job Server 2 Right mouse click the Job Server icon located in the system tray and select Hot Watch 3 Select Start Watching Hot Watch is now running in the background ready for a host software application to place a job file in the inbox directory When a job file is detected by Hot Watch to be resident in the inbox directory Hot Watch will send it to the controller After the file as been transmitted to the controller Hot Watch will move the file from the inbox directory to the outbox directory From time to time it is necessary to review the contents of the outbox directory as it will become cluttered with past job files unless Empty Outbox on Exit is enabled see above 56 Note When Job Server is started it is important to consider if Hot Watch is currently running in the background if the Activate Hot Watch on startup of Job Server check box is checked 57 3 9 Job Queue The Job Queue component allows the user to create and name job batches and control their execution The operator is prompted to start each job as
102. the toolbox in APEX JLS to control the feed rate Restart Tolerance This field establishes the radius of the area centered on the tool that will be searched for a point on the profile when using the VST feature Default is 0 1 in 2 54 mm Job Start Confirmation This option configures the method used to initiate the job after it is transmitted to the controller Options are e Pendant Must press Start on keypad to begin e None Job starts immediately Default is Pendant 77 Cylindrical Mode Translation Enabling this command will enable Cylindrical Mode Translation If this flag is set then when switching to cylindrical mode the pendant will ask for a diameter and apply that diameter during engraving This allows flat mode jobs to be accurately transferred to a cylindrical surface This option is useful if a program other than APEX JLS is used to engrave in cylindrical mode The controller will calculate the amount of rotation based on the cylindrical diameter making it possible to engrave the image on a curved surface without distorting the image WARNING This feature is NOT supported by APEX JLS software or on controllers without a front panel display Enabling this feature in these cases can cause the system to become inoperative in cylindrical mode 78 6 2 Datum Parameters Menu To access the Datum Parameters click on Datum Parameters located in the left pane of Machine Parameters These parameters ar
103. ton to activate the motors 3 Press the Datum button to datum the machine if datum switches are fitted enabled on your machine 4 Press the jog 1 2 lt gt keys on the left side of the HPGL front panel The bridge should move accordingly If there is no movement check to see if the Emergency Stop button is depressed Rotate lightly to disengage the Stop button if activated and then go back to step 2 Also check for loose cable connections 5 To test the rotary spindle motor press the SPDL button Rotate the Spindle Speed knob from 0 to 100 The rotary motor should rotate accordingly If it does not check the cable connections 6 To test the controlled Z axis spindle actuation if fitted e Place a piece of scrap plastic material under the nose of the spindle to act as a cushion and protect against cutter damage 20 Press the Digitize button Press ft and repeatedly to jog the tool up and down and then jog the tool down until it just touches the material surface Press the Digitize button again to set the surface The tool will retract after the surface is set To test the pneumatic spindle actuation if fitted Place a piece of scrap plastic material under the nose of the spindle s to act as a cushion and protect against cutter damage Press the Test Sol button Press AUX1 L repeatedly to actuate the L eft spindle Press AUX2 R repeatedly to actuate the R ight spindle Durin
104. under HP3 If APEX Product Software is already installed open the Machine Tools applet in the control panel to setup a machine connection 11 At the very end of the APEX Product Software installation a dialog box will pop up reminding you to select a DBI database once the Ethernet connection is made The DBI database is typically located in the c apex hpgl directory The name of the file is advanced mdb APEX Product Software InstallShield Wizard 5 The HPGL Ethernet connection must now be established After detecting the Ethernet HPGL controller be sure to select a Machine Info Database The Machine Info Database is typically located in c APEX HPGLiADVANCED MDB 11 12 Press ok to dismiss the popup If you see the following dialog press Unblock to allow the program to search the network Windows Security Alert a To help protect your computer Windows Firewall has blocked some features of this program Do you want to keep blocking this program P Name Run a DLL as an pp Publisher Microsoft Corporation Keep Blocking Unblock Ask Me Later Windows Firewall has blocked this program from accepting connections from the Internet or a network If you recognize the program or trust the publisher you can unblock it When should unblock a program 13 In the Machine Tool Properties also located in the control panel press Add to add a new Ethernet connection Machine Tool Properties SiN re wea is The f
105. ves the user a realistic view of the finished part Special graphical functions provide the ability to zoom in change the angle of view and see the individual movements of the machine tool Both cut and slew moves can be seen clearly Individual geometric elements lines arcs splines etc can be clearly viewed and identified The text display lists the actual content of the file motion control language code along side of the picture A special step mode highlights motion codes and geometric elements in sync step by step in the order of execution This provides for detailed analysis of machine tool motion Job Previewer also has an edit mode that enables the user to make changes directly to the motion code These capabilities make Job Previewer suitable for motion code troubleshooting and development The supported formats for job files are HPGL Hewlett Packard graphics language CNC computer numerical control UCJ uCito job native control language and Raster bit mapped image Each time Job Previewer runs it compares the file extensions types in the program settings with those that have been associated with it at the Windows system level For any extensions listed in the program settings that are not associated with Job Previewer the file extension association dialog box will pop up with the option to associate the extensions If accepted Windows will place Job Previewer icons beside the file names that have the extensions spec
106. ware 9 Click on OK to complete the configuration 10 Design the drawing 11 In EngraveLab 7 plot the drawing 12 On the APEX HPGL press the Start button 67 4 6 Using AutoCAD To setup AutoCAD for use with the APEX HPGL follow these steps Connect the APEX HPGL Turn on the host computer and APEX HPGL Start Microsoft Windows Start AutoCAD From the File menu select the Print Setup command Set the Specific Printer to HP7475A and configure see section 4 2 Design the drawing In AutoCAD print plot the drawing On the APEX HPGL press the Start button 2S Oe ee Note Depending on the version of AutoCAD it may be necessary to download the latest drivers at www autodesk com 68 Chapter V Command Codes 5 1 HPGL Commands There are many different forms of HPGL The APEX HPGL controller command set is an excerpt that consists of the most common commands and does not conform to any complete HPGL specification entirely It is most similar to the HP7475 command set The following is a description of supported commands Arc Absolute AA The AA command draws an arc using absolute coordinates from the current position of the tool around the specified center Syntax AA lt lt x gt gt lt lt y gt gt lt lt arc angle gt gt The lt lt x gt gt and lt lt y gt gt parameters define the absolute coordinates of the center of the arc in plotter units The lt
107. xis up travel occurs at max Z speed Z Delta The Z Delta parameter is specified to allow multiple pass execution of jobs This parameter causes the controller to make multiple passes of equal increments MP Depth Increment to achieve the total depth specified by the Z Depth parameter see above To set the Z Delta parameter follow these steps 1 Select the Z Delta command and then press Enter 2 Enter the MP Depth Increment and then press Enter If a non zero Z_Delta is specified the controller will repetitively execute command sequences starting with PU and ending with PD until the desired total depth is achieved Z Lift Height The Z Lift Height parameter is the distance that the tool will retract above the material surface in order to traverse the engraving material to the next figure in the job This parameter allows the user to specify sufficient lift for the tool to clear the material surface and jigging etc and yet maintain the tool in the lowest possible position during a traversal in order to achieve optimal job performance To set the Z Lift Height parameter follow these steps 1 Select the Z Lift Height command and then press Enter 2 Enter the Tool Lift and then press Enter 38 Pocket Milling Pocket Milling allows the user to machine jobs within a deep pocket up to the length of stroke on the spindle To operate in Pocket Milling mode Turn the HP3 controller ON Press Drives On

APEX-HPGL User`s Manual - Newing

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