Can you make your own Grizzly Cable?

Sure, but it may not be worth the effort in research, soldering, testing, and cost of parts.

Normal serial cable is sensitive to interference and signal loss. We carefully engineered, manufactured and tested Grizzly cable to fit the needs of a shop floor environment.

Furthermore, your time is valuable and you have better things to do! Why not consult with experts?

Is a Grizzly cable just an Ethernet (CAT-5) cable?

No, a Grizzly cable is far different than commercial Ethernet cabling.

A CAT-5 cable is typically un-shielded, provides a balanced signal, and uses different wiring intended for a computer, as opposed to a CNC control.

The Grizzly Cable is shielded, with an ultra-low capacitance, uses unbalanced signals, and is wired for RS232 signals to be sent to and from CNC machines.

CAT-5 cables are unreliable, able to pick up RF noise very easily and have limitations regarding baud rate when running beyond RS232 specifications.

How are Grizzly Cables shielded? A Grizzly Cable has four layers of shielding.

First, each wire is individually shielded with a polypropylene jacket. Second, an aluminum foil wraps around all of the pairs. Third, a metal braid shield is wrapped around the foil. Finally, a thick but flexible PVC jacket is wrapped around the metal braid.

The quality and strength of the shielding included with Predator Grizzly cables protect your data from RF noise and electrical interference. We highly recommend that you do not attempt to make your own Grizzly Cable.

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Will your floppy drive emulator work on my CNC Machine?

Your floppy drive emulator will work with your CNC machine so long as you are using standard DOS-readable disks. There is a 99% chance that the Floppy Drive Emulator, previously known as the FD Connect, will work. Please provide the make and model of your current floppy drive and confirm you can read the floppy disks in a Windows or DOS PC, and Shop Floor Automations can tell you which FD Connect model will work for your CNC Machine.

Our Haas-specific floppy drive emulator has plug-and-play ability. You can see our tutorial about on YouTube or read about it in our technical video transcription page.

When ordering the non-Haas specific emulator, please provide your Salesperson with the make and model of your current floppy drive and confirm you can read the floppy disks in a Windows or DOS PC, and Shop Floor Automations can tell you which model will work for your CNC Machine.

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Can I replace my existing floppy disk drive with a USB stick?

Yes, the floppy drive emulator is designed to replace existing floppy disk drive with a USB stick.

The emulator was made to replace almost all floppy drives on the market and eliminate the need to purchase floppy disks ever again.

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Where did RS232 come from?

In the early 1960’s, a standards committee, today known as the Electronic Industries Association, developed a common interface standard for data communications equipment. At that time, data communications were thought to mean digital data exchange between a centrally located mainframe computer and a remote computer terminal, or possibly between two terminals without a computer involved.

These devices were linked by telephone voice lines and consequently required a modem at each end for signal translation. While simple in concept, the many opportunities for data error that occur when transmitting data through an analog channel, as it requires a relatively complex design.

It was thought that a standard was needed first to ensure reliable communication, and second to enable the interconnection of equipment produced by different manufacturers, thereby fostering the benefits of mass production and competition. From these ideas, the RS232 standard was born. It specified signal voltages, signal timing, signal function, a protocol for information exchange, and mechanical connectors.

If a proprietary or special high-speed transfer method is required by the CNC control, the customer may have to be upgraded to Predator DNC. Unlike the Editor, Predator DNC is designed to support proprietary and special high-speed transfer methods. Refer to our DNC Objects section for more details.

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Can I monitor machine overrides?

Yes, you can monitor machine overrides with most FANUC FOCAS based controls or MTConnect enabled controls, you can easily monitor when your operators are turning the feed rates down.

Are there COM Ports limits when using CNC Editor?

In terms of COM port limits with CNC Editor – Yes, the Editor Express can only use COM ports 1-8 and the Full version of the Editor can only use COM ports 1-32.

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How do I connect CNCs to laptops on Windows 7 or 8?

Because modern Laptops and PCs don’t come with Rs232 serial ports any longer, you will need to get a USB to RS232 “Industrial grade” adapter and the proper serial cable to connect from the USB to RS232 adapter to your CNC Machine.

  • Reliable USB to Serial converter
  • Compatible with Windows, plus new & legacy RS232 devices
  • Use with mobile, instrumentation, & point-of-sale applications
  • Great for laptop computers without a serial port
  • CNC Control Compatible

What is an MTConnect adapter?

The MTConnect adapter is a piece of software that translates data produced by shop floor equipment into a format that can be processed by MTConnect applications.

An MTConnect Adapter is usually created by the equipment or software provider, or an integrator.

MTConnect is compatible with:

  • DMG Mori Seiki
  • Mazak
  • Okuma
  • FANUC FOCAS
  • For more Compatible Machines, call (877) 611-5825