solved. In the new machines it is neccesary to specify the program location in the program text, even though the manual says it can be done either way. The older systems will let you specify the program location at the control.

THE
NEW AND IMPROVED
AARDVARK

[quote="AArdvark"]Today's tech guy... said he'd have to contact the data ripplicator cranston department [/quote]

Not good. Sounds like the framulator is interlocked in a symbiotic race condition. You may have to synchronize the hydrostatic interface to provide a reentrant service mode. Otherwise it could end up in [i]silent death mode[/i].

Today's tech guy,( it's always a different service tech guy) saw the problem we were having and ran back to his truck screaming.
No, actually he said he'd have to contact the data ripplicator cranston department (or something) and he'd get back to us. Then he left.

Yes, another problem solved.


THE
NOT
AARDVARK

After 8 hours messing about with it the tech guys still couldn't get it to download. Then they blamed it on 'our crazy software' , which works just fine for every other machine in the shop.

Just for fun today the I-T guy and I hooked up an XP computer and tried using Hyperterminal ( as the manual recommends) and it STILL wouldn't download. Think the problem is the lousy interface in the mill? I vote yes.


THE
NOT ROOTING FOR THE
41 CAR ANYMORE
AARDVARK

Indeed. So the factory tech comes in today. Turns out that they updated their RS232, if indeed that's possible. A whole 'nother processor in there. We need hardware AND software handshaking. We need a whole 'nother cable, in fact. WTF!

Well, they get paid the large, so I'll let them do it. We coulda just kept up and went all CAT5 but NOOOooooooo!


THE
ETHERNOT
AARDVARK

A couple of years ago I was asked to perform a security scan on a particular system. I probably shouldn't mention the system, but when I got there I found out it was running on NT4 and was connected to a bunch of things with an RS-232 connection. The NT4 system was not connected to the network so I said "let's don't and say we did" and backed away... slowly...

Please tell me that you don't really do that. I'd be afraid to fly knowing that the FAA still uses technology from the 80s.


THE
CLEAR TO LAND
AT 9600 BAUD
AARDVARK

Man, wouldn't that be the perfect job? Just driving around the country using old school knowledge to fix stuff?

"Man, I've these two computers I need to connect but all I have are two modems and a phone line..."

"I'LL FIX THAT!"

The scary part is that out of 40+ guys at work only two of them even remotely understand this stuff. Me and an engineer that also grew up in the pre-Windows era. This is why I'm posting it here, where people 'get it'.

The following conversation took place early last week....

Me: "In order to troubleshoot the downloading problem on the new mill I'm going to need a breakout box."

Direct supervisor: "A whaaa?"

Me: "It's a small device with a twenty five pin serial connector on both sides and a bunch of LEDs on top that shows what information is being transmitted on what pin."

Direct supervisor: A whaaa?"

Me: "Never mind, I'll get one."


THE
SINKING INTO RETRO
AARDVARK

Going from a DB9 to DB25 serial connector. The pinout is:

1 to 20
2 to 2 (txd)
3 to 3 (rxd)
4 to 6 (cts)
5 to 7 (rts)
6 to 20
7 to 5
8 to 4
shield ground

Why do these look wrong to me? It should be 2-3 and 3-2. I could care less about Request to Send and Clear to Send as the machine is set to xon / xoff. It's 2014 people, this stuff is ancient history and yet we still use it at work because they dont want to run cat5 out to the machines. (The new CNCs can browse network folders right from the control. OOOoooOOO!)


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They want me to use Hyperteminal too, heeee!
[img][URL=http://s884.photobucket.com/user/40aardvark/media/Random%20Junk/Capture1_zpsa8486d11.jpg.html][img]http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac49/40aardvark/Random%20Junk/Capture1_zpsa8486d11.jpg[/img][/URL][/img]