To report machine data to your applications you have to be able to acquire it from your devices. For Citizen & Mazak machines equipped with Mitsubishi controllers you can use the utility program MitsubishiGui.exe (GUI) to do so. The program should also work for Mazak machines that have Mitsubishi controllers. All programs use the most recent version of Mitsubishi’s M700/70 M800/80 API (Application Program Interface) functions to access the controller and query data.
To directly read/write data from/to machines with Mitsubishi Citizen controllers connected to CNCnetPDM with your applications you can use our free Open Source Client (C-Sharp)
To be able to verify the results it is recommended to use this utility on a laptop with a network connection at the shop-floor in front of the machine.
FIG 1: Citizen Mitsubishi M700 CNC
DOWNLOAD PROGRAM
LICENSING
If you have installed CNCnetPDM on your PC with a license other than a ‘free license’ and run this program from the folder where CNCnetPDM is installed you get unlimited output. Otherwise the program outputs a restricted set of items. Please see licensing for details or contact us if you have any questions.
Note: If you like to run this program from a different location on your PC you can simply copy your CNCnetPDM.ini file to this directory.
SETUP
Extract all contents of mitsubishi.zip to a folder on your Laptop.
As the program identifies and accesses controllers by using machine numbers the first thing you have to do is to edit the configuration file melcfg.ini.
Machine numbers are defined in sections, one for each device. The machine number is the numeric part after Machine, e.g. [Machine01] = 1. Note: The second part of this numeric value uses hexadecimal notation from 1 to F, e.g. 01 = 1 and 0F = 15, remember your math lessons.
If you’re testing with one machine it is recommended to leave section [Machine01] as it is. Only in case it doesn’t work you can change the value for Controller from M8NX to NCXJ, NCXK, M6B, NX or M7NX.
It is necessary to adjust section [HOSTS] according to your setup e.g. TCP1=192.168.100.1,683 means that the IP Address of your controller is 192.168.100.1 683 after the comma is the port to be used to access the controller, do not change that.
For additional machines you have to copy and paste the whole section [Machine01], then change its name e.g. [Machine02] and Device= to a different device in section [HOSTS] e.g. Device=TCP2. In section [HOSTS] you have to add a new device e.g. TCP2=192.168.100.2,683.
Save melcfg.ini
USAGE
In Windows Explorer double click MitsubishiGui.exe
In field ‘Mitsubishi Machine Number’ enter the number as defined in melcfg.ini.
Check ‘Basic Test Only’.
Click on button ‘Query’.
If you don’t get an error, repeat the test with ‘Basic Test Only’ unchecked.
You should see a result similar to the following:
FIG 2: Output of Citizen MitsubishiGui.exe (full test)
PROGRAM OUTPUT
MitsubishiGui.exe outputs the following data:
Running Status (= Basic Test)
Running Mode
Parts required
Parts machined
Parts (total)
Current NC Program
NC Program comment
Commanded Feed Rate
Actual Feed Rate
Running Program
Spindle Number
Spindle Speed(1)
Syncronize Speed
Actual Block
Power on time
Automatic OP time
Start time
NC Date (local)
NC Time (local)
Alarm (0-10): Displays up to 10 active alarms sorted by priority
Block number of the currently active NC Program
Current block outputs up to 10 lines of the current NC Program
STATUS AND MODE OUTPUT
The following tables shows possible values for ‘Running Status’ and ‘Running Mode’:
Status
0
NC Reset
1
Emergency
2
Ready
3
In Automatic running
4
With Synchronization
5
Cross Waiting
6
Stop
7
Hold
Mode
0
Memory Mode
99
Tape Mode
5
MDI Mode
3
Handle Mode
2
Jog Mode
1
Manual Feed mode
7
A*Q.01 Step Mode
6
A*Q.01 Rapid Feed Mode
9
A*Q.01 Auto Dog less Zero Return Mode
8
A*Q.01 Zero Return Mode
CONTROLLERS
All programs were tested and works for Citizen machines with the following controllers, others may work as well:
