Wireless DNC

{{Unreferenced, date=December 2022 Wireless DNC is a form of

wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

data In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted ...

transfer, known as Direct Numerical Control, performed between a

computer numerical control Numerical control (also computer numerical control, and commonly called CNC) is the automated control of machining tools (such as drills, lathes, mills, grinders, routers and 3D printers) by means of a computer. A CNC machine processes a pie ...

(CNC) machine and the

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

controlling it. These are very widely used in the automobile, engineering, sheet metal and aeronautic industries. These machines are capable of producing different parts. For each type of part, a sequence of instructions is needed. This list of instructions is stored in a computer script, a computer file written in a programming language, such as G-code. This script is commonly referred to as a part program. When a part is to be produced this part program is uploaded to a CNC machine by

RS-232 In telecommunications, RS-232 or Recommended Standard 232 is a standard originally introduced in 1960 for serial communication transmission of data. It formally defines signals connecting between a ''DTE'' (''data terminal equipment'') such a ...

link. Now this RS-232 link between a PC and CNC machine with software is called a DNC system. In a typical

machine shop A machine shop or engineering workshop (UK) is a room, building, or company where machining, a form of subtractive manufacturing, is done. In a machine shop, machinists use machine tools and cutting tools to make parts, usually of metal or plast ...

floor, it is difficult to maintain the data cable. Hence wireless data transfer has come into existence. There are mainly two types of wireless hardware units available in the market. One is using

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

technology, while the other uses

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...

technology. In case of Bluetooth, generally one pair of Bluetooth devices is used. One gets plugged on a COM port of a PC or Laptop, and the other is connected to an RS-232 port of a CNC machine. The wireless link is established with the required driver software. Once this is established, the user can run their DNC software for data transfer. In most cases, the file is sent from a remote PC to a selected CNC machine. In Wi-Fi technology, a wireless link is established between a device called

wireless access point In computer networking, a wireless access point (WAP), or more generally just access point (AP), is a networking hardware device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired network. As a standalone device, the AP may have a wired co ...

(generally near the PC) and a device called a wireless node, which is interfaced to the CNC machine. There is one access point and multiple nodes. Each wireless access point and wireless node has one IP address. This IP address must be of the same domain name as the PC. Thus a wireless Ethernet link is created. The wireless node has an RS-232 port, which is connected to an RS-232 port of the CNC machine. Driver software on the PC maps the RS-232 port of the wireless node as a virtual COM port of the PC. Once this is done, the DNC software takes care of the two-way data transfer. Industrial automation Wireless networking