FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

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Status: 2001-08-28

General questions

What is the firmware ?
What is a project ?

Questions about the project

How can an older WIN-PED® project (version 4) be loaded with a later version of the program (version 5) ?
Can a single-axis project run with a 2-axis HNC100® ?
Can a 2-axis project run with a single-axis HNC100® ?
How can I see on the PC side, which firmware version is required for a certain HNC100® without an HNC100® being connected ?
How can I trigger a software reset on the HNC100® ?
How can I select another firmware version for my control ?
What do I have to do, if the requested firmware is not available in WIN-PED® ?
How can I transfer the firmware to the HNC100® ?
How can I create a backup of my project ?

Questions about communication with the HNC100®

What is the reason why the HNC100® does not respond after a changeover to ONLINE and the error message "Timeout" is output ?
What can I do, if the menu item "Send Firmware" cannot be executed ?
What can I do, if the menu item "Initialize control" cannot be executed ?
Does WIN-PED® prevent a data exchange with the wrong control?
How can I find out the address of an optional HNC100® (address switch error on the CB) ?
How can I find the firmware version in an optional HNC100® ?

Questions about the NC program

Why can the NC program group not be opened?
Why is the Online help (F1) not available for the NC commands?
Why is it impossible to change my NC program?
How can I take over an NC program from another project or another control?
How can I have the current NC command that is being processed displayed?

Questions about machine data

Why are machine data not taken over by the HNC100® ?
How can I see that the machine data were not taken over by the HNC100® ?
How can I see that the machine data have not yet been saved?

Questions about diagnosis

How can I set digital inputs / outputs and flags from the PC?
Why are inputs or outputs that were changed from the PC suddenly reset?
How can I output a controlled voltage to the valve?
How can I rename I/Os?

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What is the firmware ?
The firmware is practically the operating system of the HNC100®, which can be transferred via the serial interface to an HNC100®. The scope of functions of the firmware is continuously being further developed and different firmware versions can be loaded to an HNC100®. The firmware can be transferred via the serial interface to the control by selecting menu command Communication > Send firmware in WIN-PED®.

The firmware does not include user data such as NC programs or machine data settings. These user data are administrated in a project together with the selected firmware version.

What is a project ?
By project we understand the administration of one or several controls by WIN-PED®. The complete information about the controls used in a project (e.g. firmware version used, NC programs, machine data settings, curve definitions) is saved in a project folder. WIN-PED® loads a project via the so-called project file with the extension "._pr". If a certain control was selected for the project, all data (NC program, machine data settings, curve definitions) can be transferred to the HNC100® by selecting menu item Communication > Initialize control in the bus overview.

How can an older WIN-PED® project (version 4) be loaded with a later version of the program (version 5) ?
WIN-PED® recognizes automatically that the project was created using an older version and offers the possibility of converting the project. Once the project name is entered and the directory selected, a copy of the original project is created and this copied project is converted.

Can a single-axis project run with a 2-axis HNC100® ?
Yes. When the control is initialized, information is sent to the HNC100® that only one axis is to be supported.

Can a 2-axis project run with a single-axis HNC100® ?
No. As early as at the initialization stage of the control is recognized that the HNC100® supports only one axis and the process is interrupted and an error message output.

How can I see on the PC side, which firmware version is required for a certain HNC100® without an HNC100® being connected ?
Select the relevant control in the bus overview and call the control information dialog by clicking with the right-hand mouse button. The required firmware version is shown under "Firmware PC".

How can I trigger a software reset on the HNC100® ?
Select menu item Communication->Software Reset in the ONLINE mode of the MACHINE DATA program group.

How can I select another firmware version for my control ?
Select the requested control in the bus overview and choose the requested firmware from the list box of menu item Configure->Change Firmware. After a successful conversion follow the instructions contained in the file convert.txt.

What do I have to do, if the requested firmware is not available in WIN-PED® ?
Download the requested firmware version on the Internet from www.boschrexroth.com/hnc100 and start the downloaded installation program. The firmware is automatically installed in the WIN-PED® folder and will be available after a restart of WIN-PED®.

How can I transfer the firmware to the HNC100® ?
Select the requested control in the bus overview and transfer the firmware to the HNC100® by selecting menu item Communication->Send Firmware .

How can I create a backup of my project ?
Copy the entire project folder, including all subfolders, to a medium of your choice. You can use also an optional compression program.

What is the reason why the HNC100® does not respond after a changeover to ONLINE and the error message "Timeout" is output ?

Possible causes of error:

Are the addresses in the project and in the HNC100® identical ?
Call the control information dialog by pressing the right-hand mouse button. Compare the address with the settings of switches S1 and S2 on the HNC100® (menu item Help->about control Help topic: Address settings for communications).

Is the connecting cable to the HNC100® plugged into the correct COM port of your PC?

Is the COM number shown identical with that used (the COM number can be changed in menu item Edit->Configure->Settings)?

Is the selected COM port currently used by another PC program?
Close any other applications.

Do you use the correct connecting cable and is the cable properly plugged in ?

Is the HNC100® operated with the correct voltage and is it switched on?

What can I do, if the menu item "Send Firmware" cannot be executed ?
See answer to the question: "What is the reason why the HNC100® does not respond after a changeover to ONLINE and the error message "Timeout" is output?"

What can I do, if the menu item "Initialize control" cannot be executed ?
See answer to the question: "What is the reason why the HNC100® does not respond after a changeover to ONLINE and the error message "Timeout" is output?"

Does WIN-PED® prevent a data exchange with the wrong control?
Yes. A control identification is created for each control and saved in the project folder. During initialization of the control, it is also saved in the HNC100®. When changing over to the ONLINE mode, this control identification is requested by the HNC100® and compared with the one saved in the project folder. Only if these are identical is a changeover to the ONLINE mode executed.

Additional safety is offered by the address of the HNC100®, which must be set in the interfacing module and in the project. Only if both settings are identical can a communication be established with the HNC100®.

How can I find out the address of an optional HNC100® (address switch error on the CB) ?
Establish a point-to-point connection with the HNC100®. Set the address to value > 32 in the menu item Edit->Configure->Settings and execute menu command Communication->Initialize control. Acknowledge the data loss message by clicking OK. A message will appear with the different addresses of PC HNC100®.

Exit the dialog by clicking Cancel without sending the project and restoring the original address in the project.

How can I find the firmware version in an optional HNC100® ?
Establish a point-to-point connection with the HNC100®. Below the WIN-PED® directory is a "Diagnosis" folder with a project folder for the single-axis HNC100® and a folder for the 2-axis HNC100®. Load the relevant project, set the correct address of the HNC100® and the COM Port used by the PC and change over to the ONLINE mode. A dialog appears that contains information about the HNC100® and also the firmware version.

Why can the NC program group not be opened?
Change the project window from the "Active control" view to the "Bus overview" view in menu item Switch to ->System overview of the PROJECT program group.

Select menu item Edit ->Configurie->Settings and choose the relevant NC programs from the list box "Available NC programs" with the help of the Add button.

Change the project window over from "Bus overview" view to "Active control" view in menu item Switch to ->System overview and open the program part "NC program".

Why is the Online help (F1) not available for the NC commands?
At present, a blank must be present after some basic NC commands (e.g. G01) in order that the context-sensitive help is accessible via F1. Just enter a blank after the basic NC command and then press the F1 key.

Why is it impossible to change my NC program?
The NC program cannot be changed in the ONLINE mode. Change over to the OFFLINE mode by selecting menu item Communication->Online. Change your NC program and translate it by selecting menu item Functions->Check and translate.

How can I take over an NC program from another project or another control?
Select the NC program in menu item Edit->NC-Program Edit in the program group NC PROGRAM. Select menu item Edit->Open a File and open the NC program that you wish to take over into the active control. Select the requested section of the NC program and copy the highlighted section onto the clipboard by selecting menu item Edit->Copy. Change to the NC program of the active control and paste the contents of the clipboard into your NC program by selecting menu item Edit->Paste.

How can I have the current NC command that is being processed displayed?
Activate the mode for displaying the current NC command in menu item Communication->Show current NC command and.

Why are machine data not taken over by the HNC100® ?
In some cases, the HNC100® requires a reset before machine data are taken over. This reset can be executed by selecting Communication->Software reset in the MACHINE DATA program group.

How can I see that the machine data were not taken over by the HNC100® ?
The status window of WIN-PED® shows the status flag with value 1 in red letters. Double-click with the mouse on the status window to obtain a dialog with the complete text message. A reset can be executed by selecting Communication->Software reset in the MACHINE DATA program group.

How can I see that the machine data have not yet been saved?
If a machine datum is changed, this change is taken over only in the RAM of the PC in the first step.

Select menu item Edit-> Save to save machine data in a file. If the machine data have not yet been saved in a file, this is indicated by the asterisk (

) in the title bar of the relevant window or in menu item Windows in the list of open windows.

Press F10 in the ONLINE mode or select menu item Communication->Send changed to transfer changed machine data to the HNC100®. If the machine data have not yet been sent to the HNC100®, this is indicated by the number symbol (#) in the title bar of the relevant window or in menu item Windows in the list of open windows.

How can I set digital inputs / outputs and flags from the PC?
Change to ONLINE (bus overview under menu item Communication->Online) and activate menu item Communication ->Switching of I/Os and flags of the program group DIAGNOSIS. Then double-click the relevant input or output to set or reset it.

Why are inputs or outputs that were changed from the PC suddenly reset?
This happens when the level at the real inputs or outputs changes. The state of inputs and outputs is saved in the HNC100® at the beginning of the diagnosis and restored after the first change.

How can I output a controlled voltage to the valve?
Go ONLINE (program group PROJECT under menu item Communication ->Online) and call menu item Communication ->Voltage output (DAC) in the program group DIAGNOSIS.

How can I rename I/Os?
Call menu item Edit->Configuration (digital I/Os, flags) in the program group DIAGNOSIS. Select the requested variable in the list "Configuration of I/O and flag display" in the dialog. Change to the "Name" edit box, rename the variable and take it over by "Add".