Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Troubleshooting a BTR

Hi Steve, list,

Might be older then 8250. How about the old AY5-1013? What was the
year of the controller?

Alan KM6VV


Stephen Wille Padnos wrote:

> Jon Elson wrote:
>
>
>>vinnygenovese wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I am trying to bring an IKEGIA FX25-N / Fanuc 5T back to life. There is a BTR
>>>that I am trying to bring online. Problem is I don't have any instructions or dip
>>>switch settings. I uploaded a photo to http://radiantheat.com/UCM-BTR.jpg.
>>>The board has a single LED , which seems to 'blink' when i send data, but it
>>>seems no signal gets through to the Fanuc 5T. (or I am sending the wrong
>>>commands). I googled and googled. It seems they are out of business. Any
>>>hints on the dip switch's or other hints would be very welcome.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Well, I think it can be deciphered. It looks like there is no
>>microprocessor there,
>>I think the big chip is a 40-pin UART. It also looks like the markings
>>have been
>>sanded off that chip, but by tracing the power pins, you may be able to
>>figure
>>out which if the several 40 pin uarts it is. It is socketed, so pulling
>>it and
>>looking on the back may have some markings that at least identify the
>>manufacturer,
>>which may be all you need to narrow down the type of UART. Once you
>>know this,
>>you can see which dip switch is connected to which pin, and with the
>>crystal frequency,
>>you can figure out how to set the baud rate and transmission characteristics
>>(# bits, even/odd/none parity, etc.)
>>
>>I could be off on this, but there is clearly no EPROM chip, and
>>something about
>>it just makes me think it predates one-chip micros. I note 1488 and
>>1489 chips,
>>and wonder if it is getting the right power to those chips, as they need
>>both
>>positive and negative voltages.
>>
>>I don't know Fanuc machines, but most systems need some switch settings
>>and/or
>>commands or buttons to put them in the right mode to read a program from
>>tape
>>or to go into DNC mode.
>>
>>In DNC mode, the computer becomes a file server for the CNC control, and
>>doesn't send anything until the CNC control asks for it by file name.
>>
>>Jon
>>
>
> Hmmm.
>
> I think the large chip actually is a microcontroller. The 8051 has been
> around forever, as have the precursors to PIC line. The tipoff is that
> the crystal isn't an oscillator, but a resonator. (also, there's no
> reason to sand off the markings on a UART) According to this pinout (in
> ascii art :) http://www.xs4all.nl/~ganswijk/chipdir/giicm/8250.txt , the
> 8250 (which it almost certainly would have been) takes a single clock
> input - like that from a clock oscillator. Also, the clock input is on
> pin 9, not pins 38+39 as this one.
>
> Of course, it's not an 8051 either, since the crystal connects to pins
> 18+19 (unless the chip is rotated). I checked the Z80, and that's not
> it either.
>
> I don't remember any UARTs that weren't compatible with the 8250, though
> they could certainly have existed anyway.
>
> If you could post a higher resolution photo, as well as any information
> on the underside of the large chip, that may help. Also, what
> diagnostic tools do you have available? (do you have a scope?)
>
> - Steve