MACHINE MONITORING | HEIDENHAIN

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This highly configurable Heidenhain IIoT adapter for CNCnetPDM enables you to monitor machine-, process- and quality data from machines with Heidenhain controllers from TNC 426 up to TNC 7, see adapted controllers. It also allows remote control by its ability to set or change Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) data values and machine parameters.

BENEFITS | PREREQUISITES | DOWNLOAD DRIVER | LICENSING | SETUP CNCNETPDM | USAGE | ADJUST MACHINE INI FILE | COMMANDS | TIPS | TEST WRITING OPERATIONS | TROUBLESHOOTING | UPGRADE DRIVER

Benefits

CNCnetPDM Heidenhain IIoT Interfaces

You can dynamically define your own set of commands (up to 31 for reading and 6 for writing) that can be enabled and disabled on a per machine basis by an INI file that is automatically created with reasonable default values. This INI file also allows to define individual names for every output item.

• CNCnetPDM fully supports password and key based secure communication, supported from TNC 320 up to TNC 7
• For newer controls (TNC 320 -> TNC 7) CNCnetPDM allows to read and write PLC data by usage of symbolic PLC names
• For bidirectional communication between machines with Heidenhain controllers connected to CNCnetPDM and your applications you can use our free Open Source Client (C-Sharp)

FIG 1: Heidenhain TNC 640 Operator panel

PREREQUISITES

• Make sure that you have an Ethernet network connection between your PC and the machine and get data, use our HeidenhainData utility to do so.
• In case your controller requires secure communication adjust section [SSH] of the machine specific INI file after first startup.
• If you use a firewall and secure communication (>= TNC 320) add an exception for TCP port 22 (SSH) to your Firewall (in both directions) or, for non-secure (legacy) communication add an exception for port 19000.

DOWLOAD DRIVER

LICENSING

This device driver requires the most recent version of CNCnetPDM and also works with a free license. However, in this mode output is limited to the OEE machine state of your device. With a valid license you are able to output the result of up to 31 commands per reading cycle, see licensing for details.

SETUP CNCNETPDM

• Download CNCnetPDM and install it as described in the quick-start-guide.
• Download the Heidenhain driver and extract all files into the folder where you have CNCnetPDM installed.
• Edit CNCnetPDM.ini and add a new device as described in the quick start guide point 7. If you already have an entry in section [RS232] for a machine with a Heidenhain controller you can simply copy and paste this line and change its content. Change the line as follows:

FIG 2:    Configure Heidenhain device driver in CNCnetPDM.ini

For machines with Heidenhain controllers the following 2 parameters are important:

1. Right to the IP Address of the controller (here 192.168.1.212) enter number 19000 (=port)
2. Change the driver name to heidenhain.dll

USAGE

• Start CNCnetPDM, foreground program is sufficient (Start thread)
• CNCnetPDM automatically copies the original heidenhain.dll and appends the machine number as configured in the INI file, e.g. heidenhain_1000.dll for machine number 1000.
• In addition an INI file with the same name is automatically created by the device driver, e.g. heidenhain_1000.ini for machine number 1000.
• With CNCnetPDM started double click CNCnetControl, if your device number is 1000 and the device name is 'Cheto IXN W11' the output should be similar to the one below:

FIG 3:    CNCnetControl (Heidenhain TNC 640)

Here the machine (1) shows up as connected (2) which is good. On the right side (3) you see the acquired data:

• The line starting with O contains items defined in the INI file of the device that should be output to section 1. If you didn’t change the INI file you get something like the following:

1000 9/02/2025 3:53:15 AM O STATN| 4| STATT| Interrupted| MODEN| 4| MODET| Automatic| PRGSN| 7| PRGST| Idle| OVRFD| 100| OVRSP| 100| OVRRP| 100|  10000000019

Every output item has a tag name followed by its tag value. All names and values are delimited by pipe ‘|’ symbols. This allows CNCnetPDM to create a database record, MTConnect or OPC UA output for every item.

With an unmodified INI file the initial configured and activated items are:

FIG 4:    Ids, names, description and initial activation state of items

ADJUST MACHINE INI FILE

This device driver enables to dynamically add, group, enable or disable items and change their names. The INI file automatically created by the device driver for every machine contains sections that allow you to control its behavior.

Section [GENERAL] | Section [MARKERS] | Section [SSH] | Numeric Sections

GENERAL

This section contains information about global parameters used by the driver on startup.

• Connection Delay (Optional) allows to specify a time period in milliseconds (0 - 5000) between connection to the controller and start of communication, default = 0.
• Commands defines the number of all commands you’d like to use for reading and writing, maximum value = 37.
• No DNC Option enables, if set to 1, data acquisition from newer controllers (iTNC 530 -> TNC 7) that do not have DNC Option 18 activated: How-to instructions, default = 0.
• Legacy PLC allows, if set to 1, to automatically convert PLC Byte, Word or DWord output from legacy controllers like TNC426 or TNC430 to a proper format. Please set Legacy PLC = 1 in case PLC output differs from the values you see at the controller, default = 0.
• PLC Password can be used to enter a PLC Password or Code Number if PLC access is restricted by a password or code number, default = empty.
• Symbolic PLC Address Names location of file with symbolic PLC address names of the machine (iTNC 320 -> TNC 7), see symbolic PLC names, default plcdatamarker\PlcDataMarker.txt

MARKERS

This section contains addresses of PLC Markers that are automatically used to identify the operation mode and program state of your machine if the controller does not support high-level language commands to acquire this information. Typically used with older TNC426 and 430 controllers and devices that do not have DNC Option 18 activated.

• PLC Marker Command (default plcmarker) allows you to read markers from various PLC areas. This entry only has to be adjusted for data acquisition from controllers that do not have DNC Option 18 activated: How-to instructions.

SSH

In this section you can define parameters that should be used for secure SSH communication (>= TNC 320)

• Use Secure Communication enables secure communication: 1 = yes, 0 = no, default = 0
• Authentication Method SSH authentication method: 1 = username/password, 2 = key file, default = 1
• Private Key private key file for secure communication, default = cert\user@cncnetpdm
• Public Key public key file for secure communication, default = cert\user@cncnetpdm.pub
• User Name SSH user name for secure communication, default = user
• Password SSH password for secure communication, default = user

NUMERIC SECTIONS [1 - 37]

Items for reading and writing are organized in numeric sections e.g. [2]. Every section contains entries where you can define names, commands and parameters for a specific item.

• Note: Section [1] is reserved for part counter values, see reading of Heidenhain workpiece counters. Do not use this section for other items.

Description of the numeric sections:

FIG 5:    Description of a device INI file section

• Note: To change commands, switch items on or off or alter its name while CNCnetPDM is running open the device INI file with a text editor, make the desired changes and save the file. To apply the changes immediately you can click on the machine in CNCnetControl on the left side followed by clicking buttons ‘Close’ and ‘Open’ above the section ‘Devices’.

COMMANDS

Below you can find commands and output items that can be used with this driver.

• Note: Items with note ‘iTNC530 only’ are only supported by iTNC 530 controls. Please do not set them to active for newer controllers from TNC 320 up to TNC 7.
• For TNC 426 and 430 most items can be acquired by using plcmarker, plcbyte, plcword or plcdword commands. Please contact us for detailed instructions.

FIG 6:    Description of available command groups and output items

TIPS

If you want to add additional items (up to 37 in total) first adjust the number of commands in section [GENERAL]. Then, copy and paste a complete INI file section and adjust the section number and its content.

TEST WRITING OPERATIONS

It is highly recommended to test any writing operation to Heidenhain controllers before using them in a production environment with the device driver. For verification that you can access and write PLC data or machine parameters you should first use the GUI tool Heidenhain PLCRW. To test with the device driver proceed as follows:

1. In CNCnetControl select the device at the left side
2. After clicking on button [Cmd], an additional dialog opens.
3. Select the command number followed by 3 items delimited by pipe symbols ‘|’. If you’re using the standard device INI file you can enter:

FIG 7:    Format of writing commands

The first item in column input is the numeric PLC address, symbolic PLC address name or machine parameter followed by the desired value and a flag. Flag only has an effect on machine parameters. Possible values: 0 = persistent, 1 = temporary, 2 = persistent on reset.

If you’re using your own application or an MTConnect compatible program you can directly input a complete command in the form of:

• * device|1001|command|35|3515|5001|0

To verify the result you can either define sections to read these values in your machine INI file or check with Heidenhain PLCRW.

TROUBLESHOOTING

• The device driver writes a log file entry for any communication issue to the log file of the device. The file can be found in subdirectory \log of your CNCnetPDM program folder. The file format for the log file is log_ + device number + _ + date.txt. Please check this file first if you observe an issue. Deactivate commands with issues by setting them to ‘Active = 0’.
  
  
• If the machine shows a red icon, state disconnected and you get just output E = 0 the machine is not reachable at all. This has nothing to do with CNCnetPDM, it’s a network issue, DNS Hostname or IP Address is wrong.
  
  
• If the machine shows a green icon, state connected but you just get output E = 1 the machine is reachable but the controller does not respond to commands, check your controller setup and the parameters used in CNCnetPDM.ini (esp. port number).Please use the tool HeidenhainData to check if the machine replies to commands.
  
  
• If you get numeric device states but not any of the preconfigured items please make sure that entries CollectOrders, CollectQuality and CollectFeeder are set to 1 in section [General] of CNCnetPDM.ini.
  
  
• If specific items are not acquired check first with HeidenhainData that you get output. Also make sure that the numeric section of the item in the device drivers INI file is activated and has an entry for ‘Name’, inactive or items with empty names are not acquired. Also check that you didn’t misspell entries for command and output item in your device driver INI file.
  
  
• In case you experience problems with other programs that interact with the controller (like tool control software) while CNCnetPDM is running please make sure that you do not use any command that accesses the machine’s PLC for reading or writing. For controllers <= iTNC 530 Heidenhain does not permit simultaneous access to the PLC by more than one external program!

UPGRADE DRIVER

If you already have a previous version of the driver installed and would like to upgrade to the most recent version proceed as follows:

1. Stop any CNCnetPDM background service or foreground program that uses the device driver.
2. Extract all files from heidenhain_dll_9.zip into the folder where you have CNCnetPDM installed, overwrite the existing file.
3. Delete all existing heidenhain_NNNN.dll (NNNN = machine number) files.
4. Do not delete the heidenhain_NNNN.ini files.
5. After restarting CNCnetPDM upgraded device driver versions for all machines are automatically created.