Fadal to Okuma G Code Conversion Software

Kentech Inc. has been a pioneer and innovator in the world of G code conversion since 1986. And since that time we have received quite a few requests for a G code conversion application that can convert Fadal G code to Fanuc format. Althogh we do not have a specific hard-coded application for this conversion … our KipwareXC® application can be configured quite easily to perform this conversion very well. Fadal machines can be configured by parameter to accept Fanuc style G code (Format2) or the Fadal format (Format1) which is a little more powerful if doing manual type programming. Sub routines and canned cycles are handled a little different in Format1 … but the format is till pretty close to Fanuc format. For this reason … KipwareXC® has been a good solution.

However we have recently received many requests for a conversion from Fadal G code to Okuma OSP format … and this one is a little more tricky. Since Okuma format is quite different than Fanuc … and of course Fadal format … we needed a custom, hard-coded app to accomplish this task.

So we wrote one !!

Kentech Inc. is pleased to announce the release of our new Fadal Options for our CNC XChange – Fanuc / Haas / Okuma Milling Version. For those unfamiliar with CNC XChange … it is a hard-coded application that will automatically convert Fanuc / Haas G code to Okuma OSP G code … and reverse. It has options that will auto-convert Fanuc Macro to Okuma User Task … and reverse … as well as auto-convert Live Tool and Y axis programming between the two formats. The term hard coded simply means that all the standard G code conversions are defined inside the source code … so it is specifically designed for Fanuc / Haas <–> Okuma conversions.

For non-standard code … M codes for example … the user can use the User Options within the software to customize the conversion. They can … for example … set-up an unlimited number of user defined conversions to handle say M51 to M71 … or convert G91G28Z0 to G00Z50.0. The User Options are very powerful with many options … and now the Fadal Options have been added. A screenshot is below.

fadal_okuma_options_list

Let me take a few moments to outline these options.

  1. TURN ON FADAL OPTIONS … kind of self-explanatory but this option allows the user to turn the auto-conversion ON or OFF completely.
  2. STRIP SUBROUTINES … this one is quite powerful. Fadal programs define any subroutines used inside the program at the very top of the program. Subroutines start with an L number followed by the G code routine to repeat and ends with an M17. The last subroutine ends with an M17 and then an M30 on the next line.  The Fadal control will read the program … record the subroutines and their locations … and then start the machining once it finds the M30. Using this option within CNC XChange will cause the software to automatically strip each subroutine out of the code and place it’s contents in a text file and save that text file under the L name for the subroutine. Pretty cool … and very powerful !!
  3. The SUBROUTINE CONVERSION OPTIONS will now tell CNC XChange what to do with those subroutines. The first option will cause CNC XChange to automatically insert the contents of the subroutine called … remember it’s stored in a text file … at each location in the program where it is called. So basically when CNC XChange finds the subroutine call in the program … it dumps the contents of that text file into that location in the converted program. Again … pretty cool. If you don’t want that option … the second choice is to just insert a Fanuc M98P call … calling that subroutine. Of course since we are converting to Okuma … that M98P call will eventually get converted to the Okuma equivalent as the conversion process proceeds.

There are some other code conversions built into the Fadal conversion routine that are not user configurable … they’re just done automatically like :

  • Removing the + sign from the R command in canned cycles
  • Re-configuring the G84.1 Q feedrate and F RPM to their Fanuc / Okuma equivalent.
  • Convert E1-E6 to G54-G59 … and their Okuma equivalent.
  • And convert G2/G3 lines with an L repeat. Another cool conversion because CNC XChange will automatically just repeat the contents of the line as many times as L commanded.

We will also be incorporating these new features into our Fadal to Fanuc conversion to make it even more powerful.

Conversion

If your shop suffers from the control incompatibility issue … check out KipwareXC® and Kipware® CNC XChange HERE.

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.