Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

What’s the best way of comparing an older plc to a new one. Haven’t used Note++ much but is there a compare function that might highlight the differences. I’m trying to review an older plc to one that was installed recently.
John

Try WinMerge - https://winmerge.org/

Thanks, now I just need to know what I'm looking at.
John

I use WinMerge.

Of course, if you are comparing a 10-year-old PLC program with a current one, the number of differences will be overwhelming.

If you are trying to identify custom features in the old program, so you can merge them into the new program, then it is very helpful to have an unmodified copy of the original old program (before the custom features were added). However, that is not always available.

Thanks, and your right. The custom plc is more than 10 years old. So, I believe I'm going to have to gut it out and walk through it from the beginning. I'm old enough to remember the first wheel being chiseled, so it's going to be interesting.
John

Supposing this is regarding your DM45, A900204; and that it was previously running "A900204.src"; then you can use WinMerge to compare "A900204.src" with the old "allin1dc-basic.src".

Doing that suggests that your program has only a few relevant differences compared with a standard/generic/basic mill program.

1) Aux1 key is apparently used as a high-low range indicator, in lieu of a wired low-range switch.
2) Aux7 is used to control a work light through OUT3 (in place of Flood coolant). Flood coolant support has been removed.
3) There is a Z axis brake release on OUT6 (instead of the current-standard OUT9).
4) There is a rotary axis clamp on OUT9.

Rather than try to cut and paste those features from the old program into a copy of the current "Centroid-Mill-Standard-ALLIN1DC-r9.src", I would edit the desired features in a little more surgically.

For example, the spindle range-selection code in the new program is cleaner and more reliable; you just need to incorporate code that toggles the Aux1 LED in response to an Aux1 keypress; and then use Aux1LED_O instead of SpinLowRange_I to select low range.

Handling the Z brake and work light should just be a matter of changing the output definitions.

Since the new program defines M10_SV, but does not actually use it anywhere for Clamp control, you will need to edit/paste in the one line that controls a clamp output based on M10 (assuming you even need that feature).

Thank you for your assistance!. As an old retired engineer, I can say that delving into reading the whole PLC manual would certainly have shorten my life. I started with punch tape and either UCC or Compac II programming. True NC not CNC. Working for Litton Industries designing a product called a memory drum (precursor to the hard drive) 14" in dia. and 24" tall with a capacity of approx. 10mb. Mechanical and electrical are not an issue, but last computer programming class I took was in basic.
John

Well I continue to have problems and have decided to have the wiring comply with the new plc. The problem is Ajax (was this an off shoot of Centroid?) must have had different wire labeling or the labeling has evolved. So, now I'm having to trace everything since I didn't get a schematic when I purchased the machine. Are there any older schematics for the All-in-one that might have different numbering system that can be downloaded?
John

Notepad++ has a compare function. It's an add on but easy to install.