How to Connect Syntec CNC controller to your Local Network

WARNING: Following these instructions you could damage your CNC machine or your controller. All and any damage is YOUR explicit responsibility. These instructions are given in good-faith, based on equipment status, compute resources and facilities available to me. They have worked and this is a description of how. This DOES NOT WORK WITH WINDOWS VISTA but the procedure should be similar.

Welcome to this online guide. I've had to spend quite a bit of time to get my CNC machine's controller connected via a Network to a local file server. There was no information available and the instructions given by the Syntec people were limiting. Make sure that your edits are ONLY the ones in blue. All other things in the files should be left as is.

The Network

We need to first decide what our network really looks like. For simplicity, lets assume that your computer is called "SuperComputer" and your CNC machine is called "SuperCNC". The IP address (We'll get to that in a short while), for your SuperCNC is 192.168.100.21 and the IP address of your SuperComputer is 192.168.100.20. You also have another computer called "NetComputer" that is connected to the Internet and has an IP address 192.168.100.1

Furthermore lets assume that all your computers are on Workgroup SUPERGUY and Domain SUPERGUY.

The current situation you have is the following. The SuperComputer connects to the NetComputer to have Internet access. The SuperCNC is still on its own.

Safeguard your Current Setup

Now you need to make a backup of both your CF Cards from the Syntec, so that if something goes wrong you can get back to your original setup.

Now, you need to load the System CF Card and see the root directory, there you'll find a file called, CNCNET.BAT, you need to edit only the last line. In our case since our computer with NC files is called SuperComputer, we change the last line as shown below. Save and close the file.

FILE CNCNET.BAT:

----------------------file start--------------------------------

C:\NET\net initialize

@path=%PATH%;C:\NET;

@C:\NET\netbind.com

@C:\NET\umb.com

@C:\NET\tcptsr.exe

@C:\NET\tinyrfc.exe

@C:\NET\nmtsr.exe

@C:\NET\emsbfr.exe

@del C:\NET\connect.dat

@C:\NET\net start

@C:\NET\net use n: \\SUPERCOMPUTER\SUPERMILL

-------------------file end-----------------------

Now, you need to go to the directory on the System CF Card called NET, In this directory there are two files, one is called HOSTS, you need to add the three lines shown below in this file.

FILE \NET\HOSTS:

----------------------file start--------------------------------

# Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corp.

#

# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP

#

# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to hostnames. Each

# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should

# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding IP name.

# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one

# space.

#

# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual

# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.

#

# For example:

#

# 102.54.94.97 rhino.microsoft.com # source server

# 38.25.63.10 x.microsoft.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost

192.168.100.21 SUPERCNC

192.168.100.1 NETCOMPUTER

192.168.100.20 SUPERCOMPUTER

-------------------file end-----------------------

Now you need to edit the file called LMHOSTS in the NET directory of System CF Card. You need to add the exact same three lines from the HOSTS file above here.

FILE \NET\LMHOSTS :

----------------------file start--------------------------------

# Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corp.

#

# This is a sample LMHOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP

#

# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to computer

# (NetBIOS) names. Each entry should be kept on an individual line.

# The IP address should be placed in the first column followed by the

# corresponding computername. The address and the LAN Manager name

# should be separated by at least one space.

#

# Note that the utilities will only recognize a finite number of

# mappings. This current limit is 59 for Windows for Workgroups.

#

# Also, comments (like these) may be inserted on individual lines or

# following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.

#

# For example:

#

# 149.124.10.4 server1 # main office server

# 182.102.93.122 joe3 # joe's database server

192.168.100.21 SUPERCNC

192.168.100.1 NETCOMPUTER

192.168.100.20 SUPERCOMPUTER

-------------------file end-----------------------

Now you need to edit the file called NETWORKS in the NET directory of your System CF Card. by adding the name of the local domain as network name of your computer.

FILE \NET\NETWORKS :

----------------------file start--------------------------------

# Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corp.

#

# This file contains network name/network number mappings for

# local networks. Network numbers are recognized in dotted decimal form.

#

# Format:

#

# [aliases...] [#]

#

# For example:

#

# loopback 127

# campus 284.122.107

# london 284.122.108

loopback 127

SUPERGUY 192.168.100

-------------------file end-----------------------

The last and most important file is in the NET directory of the System CF card its called SYSTEM.INI

You need to edit to as follows. You need to edit only the first section of SYSTEM.INI which is labeled as [network], and only those entries that you see in bold blue.

FILE \NET\SYSTEM.INI

----------------------Part to Edit--------------------------------

[network]

filesharing =no

printsharing =no

autologon =yes

computername =SUPERCNC

lanroot =C:\NET

username =CNC

workgroup =SUPERGUY

reconnect =yes

dospophotkey =N

lmlogon =0

logondomain =SUPERGUY

preferredredir =basic

autostart =basic

maxconnections =8

-------------------Stop Edits-----------------------

Now you have the CF card all setup. We need to focus attention on your computer the "SUPERCOMPUTER".

You need to open a directory that SUPERCNC would be able to read from your SUPERCOMPUTER. Thus in the SUPERCOMPUTER right click -> NEW Folder -> SUPERMILL. Once SUPERMILL is created, right click the folder -> Share folder, accept the defaults, make sure that everyone can read the folder SUPERMILL and can also edit the files.

Connect your SUPERCNC to the SUPERCOMPUTER, boot both, and go to file, network load, and you'll see the files that you place in the SUPERMILL directory on your Syntec controller.

Supersano

The winds at Supersano were 35-40kmph, however, with a long runway, Supersano is a safe place to land and exquisite place to eat. Our hosts were the owners of Supersano, Alfio and his wife. Alfio is an exuberant, always ready to help, full of energy and stories kind of person. It was delightful to stay with them for lunch and till late hoping that the winds would die down, or at least the gusts would reduce in their intensity.

Gallipoli

Gallipoli from 500ft. Flying over the sea and beginning the descent to the Gallipoli airstrip.

Early morning Gallipoli

Close to Gallipoli early in the morning. We then landed at a sandy runway of Aeroclub of Gallipoli. It was deserted... be careful landing and taking off from Sand-dunes. At max AUW, they can make take-off miserable. Fortunately, Pluto was neither at max AUW nor does it have a low engine, thus things went off smoothly.

Planes parked at Castel del Monte

Pluto is the second aircraft from left, parked at the airstrip of Tannoja (I-BAAND). We refueled during the evening for an early start the next morning.

Castel del Monte

When we landed at Tannoja's airstrip (I-BAAND), we took Mr. Salvatore Tannoja's car for a ride to see the incredible Castel del Monte. We could see the edge of Tannoja's strip from there.

Beautiful fields

All the way from Termoli to Castel del Monte, the rolling hills look incredibly beautiful. One characteristic of the farm fields is that after cultivation, the farmers burn the straw on the fields. This gives them a very tapestry like look. This was the first such field I noticed before landing at Castel del Monte.