General Description:
California Software Systems DNC File Server is an excellent software solution used for communicating with printed circuit board drills and routers using Excellon DNC 1.3 or 1.4 protocol. It is a true 32 bit application written specifically for Microsoft Windows. One DNC file server computer can drive up to 16 machines. The number of machines per DNC server is only limited by the number of hardware COM ports you can install in the computer. Note: COM port “plug-and-play” boards are available with 2, 4, 8, or 16 serial ports configurations. Your drill and rout programs do not have to be stored on the DNC server. They can be kept on any file server on your network. This makes it possible to connect two or more DNC servers in parallel (32 machines) and still work from a single data base stored somewhere else.
One copy of CSS DNC File Server is loaded and runs for each COM port. For example, if you are driving 10 machines you need 10 COM ports and 10 copies of our DNC Server Software running in 10 separate windows. The advantages to this is that all machines can be simultaneously downloading files from the DNC Server at maximum speed. No machine ever has to slowdown or wait while another is receiving a drill or rout program.
Operator Messages (Dialog Mode):
CSS DNC File Server provides a quick way to verify that the machine and the host computer are communicating. This is done by sending short messages back and forth. Select a COM port on the computer screen by clicking its’ image. Type your message and click the “Send Message” button. If everything is working correctly “Message sent OK” will popup at the top of the window. If not, it will read “Machine not responding.”
You can also send a message from the PCB Drill or Router to the DNC Server computer. However, the method for doing this varies between machine manufacturers. On most Excellon machines you simply type “OM,” and then your message. Sieb & Meyer controllers must first be set to “DNC Dialog Mode.”
Sending Requested Files:
The machine controller must be setup with hardware and software to download drill/route programs from a DNC Server computer using Excellon DNC 1.3 or 1.4 protocol. Unfortunately, every manufacturer and every model seems to have a slightly different method for doing this. Therefore it generally requires a trained service technician to initially configure your machine for DNC communication. You may also need to install additional circuit boards and software in the machine – at additional cost.
Once the machine is communicating properly with the DNC Server computer things get much simpler. To download a program you (1.) type the name of the file you want on the keyboard of the machine and (2.) press the “GO” button. Of course the “GO” button can be anything from the “Line Feed” key on a keyboard to poking your finger at some obscure spot on a CRT. Again, almost every machine is different.
CSS DNC server can automatically download files from either “JOB” files on the Drill Room File Server or individual files stored in separate subdirectories. A CSS “JOB” file is a compressed file containing many individual files including drilling and routing programs, comments, a description of the job, and possibly even net lists and Gerber files. To download program stored in a “JOB” file the operator simply types the “JOB Number” followed by the name of the drill/rout program he needs.
Download the Drill/Rout Program Stored in Compressed Job File:
File stored in job file SOMEJOB.JOB: SOMEJOB\DRIL1234.DRL
To download an individual file stored in a different subdirectory on the network (not-compressed) the operator enters the network path followed by the file name.
Download Drilling Program Stored as Individual File On Network File Server:
File stored in Default Directory: DRIL1234.DRL
Contact California Software Systems for more information on the CSS DNC File Server for Microsoft Windows solution today.
