Wireless USB

[hotponyshoes]

Yes, you can write to them over wireless.
Once installed on the pc side they just show up as an external drive and can be used like normal.
You could set it as he storage drive for the cnc files or just put a folder on it and a primary folder on your main pc, set the 2 folders to sync whenever changes are made to the primary folder (ie. Whenever you create/edit a cnc file).

Thinking about it they might not work for you though..
As said, they are designed for cameras and just go into the normal sd card slot. The power for the Wi-Fi part must come from the sd card slot so I am not sure if it will still get power if plugged into a usb adaptor? So I don't know if the Wi-Fi will still work or if it will just come up as a normal drive?
I can test this if you want?

Try plugging a mouse into the usb socket on the cnc and see if the light comes on? That might be your other issue as the socket on your cnc might not have power anyway?

 

[Hood]

It would be good if you could test
I have just plugged my phone in to the CNC's USB and although it couldn't read the phone the phone did say it was charging. Also plugged in a MyPassport external USB drive and it powered up but again it wasn't readable but it did receive power.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I tried it and it's not as simple as I thought it would be.

I have only been trying to access it from my phone at the moment.

Putting the card into a camera works fine,
So does putting it into the sd slot on my laptop.

However, if I put it into a sd/usb adaptor I get problems , it works in the usb socket of the laptop but not plugged into power only (I tried 2 phone chargers)

I tried a different sd/usb adaptor hat had a light on it. The light does not come on when plugged into phone chargers but does when plugged into the laptop.
It goes off if you click the 'eject hardware' so it must only fire up the Wi-Fi part of the card when the card is in use.

Not sure if this helps as it means it may or may not work with the cnc?

If anybody knows a bit more about computers there may be a way to get it powered up all the time?

 

[Ruffian]

Can you not use a WiFi dongle and link it that way rather than usb??

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/382624698037

 

[hotponyshoes]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Q-Waves-Wireless-USB-Data-Kit-x/dp/B002T9VBVM

These are the ones I am using, seem to be out of stock though..

 

[Hood]

I tried it and it's not as simple as I thought it would be.

I have only been trying to access it from my phone at the moment.

Putting the card into a camera works fine,
So does putting it into the sd slot on my laptop.

However, if I put it into a sd/usb adaptor I get problems , it works in the usb socket of the laptop but not plugged into power only (I tried 2 phone chargers)

I tried a different sd/usb adaptor hat had a light on it. The light does not come on when plugged into phone chargers but does when plugged into the laptop.
It goes off if you click the 'eject hardware' so it must only fire up the Wi-Fi part of the card when the card is in use.

Not sure if this helps as it means it may or may not work with the cnc?

If anybody knows a bit more about computers there may be a way to get it powered up all the time?

The CNC is powered and also can red/write to a USB drive so it may work.

Can you not use a WiFi dongle and link it that way rather than usb??

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/382624698037

Don't think so as that is, as far as I can see, just a wireless adapter and that would mean the CNC needed to be able to use wireless connections and I don't think it can or I would imagine it would already be an option.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Q-Waves-Wireless-USB-Data-Kit-x/dp/B002T9VBVM

These are the ones I am using, seem to be out of stock though..

Is that what you were testing out?
Seems to be discontinued.

 

[Hood]

There may be another option, the CNC has a serial port and it can do DNC but not sure if that just means it can run programmes being streamed over serial or whether you can actually transfer them, will have to try and decipher the Chinglish a bit more

 

[MattH]

DNC on my Acurite allows you to transfer files.

 

[Hood]

It does sound like it may do what I want but not 100% sure.
I have requested the serial software so hopefully when I get that I will know.
Here is what the manual says.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I was testing the wi-fi sd card.
My thinking is that you can leave it plugged into the cnc where it will act as a regular usb stick.
You can then send files to it via Wi-Fi from the network, a wi-fi pc or your phone etc.

If you can find the wireless usb thing then you could plug one end into the cnc, plug the other into your pc and mount a virtual drive emulated as a usb drive. To the cnc it would loom like it was plugged in directly.
On the pc you would just sync the stick to your cnc files folder.

 

[MattH]

All 3 of my big CNC routers have a spooler program that communicates via RS232.
I wanted to move the PC’s into the office where it’s cleaner and warmer.
I made up some 30M+ serial cables with Cat7 Ethernet cable.

With the correct cable you can go up to 100M on RS232 even though it’s not in the transmission specs.

 

[Hood]

I was testing the wi-fi sd card.
My thinking is that you can leave it plugged into the cnc where it will act as a regular usb stick.
You can then send files to it via Wi-Fi from the network, a wi-fi pc or your phone etc.

If you can find the wireless usb thing then you could plug one end into the cnc, plug the other into your pc and mount a virtual drive emulated as a usb drive. To the cnc it would loom like it was plugged in directly.
On the pc you would just sync the stick to your cnc files folder.

Ok thanks, might be worth getting a wireless sd card to try it out but I will have a search for the other device and see if I can find a supplier.

 

[Hood]

All 3 of my big CNC routers have a spooler program that communicates via RS232.
I wanted to move the PC’s into the office where it’s cleaner and warmer.
I made up some 30M+ serial cables with Cat7 Ethernet cable.

With the correct cable you can go up to 100M on RS232 even though it’s not in the transmission specs.

I don't need to go that far as my workshop is quite small, too small really. I suppose even by the time I route it round the walls I won't be 10m, it is only about 3m away as the crow flies although I don't have many crows in the workshop

 

[hotponyshoes]

I can send you this sd card to try it out if you like?

I use the usb extenders though!

 

[Hood]

I will maybe take you up on that, I will see what the DNC software is like first as that may be the easiest route as I already have a network cable run so could just rewire it to serial.

Regarding the Q-Waves gadget, looks like they are no longer on the go, shame really as it looks to be exactly what I was looking for. I suppose everything being wireless now did away with the need for it.

 

[hotponyshoes]

Yea, a bit like the Wi-Fi sd cards.
Most cameras have wi-fi built in now or they just save the photos directly to the cloud.

Pretty sure I have got a massive box of d-sub connectors about if you need some to make the cable up?

 

[Hood]

Thanks but I got connectors with the control and already have some anyway as the servo drives and PLC's I use connect to the PC via serial.

 

[hotponyshoes]

You can get serial port adaptors that bridge to a network.

If you have the network cable run you could just plug the workshop end into a hub/switch.
Plug the existing network device/s into the hub and plug the serial adaptor in as well which will then give you a serial port accessible over the network.

Wireless serial port adaptors are also a thing although I think the cheaper ones are Bluetooth rather than wi-fi.

Will depend if the cnc will actively look for a file to download over a serial connection or if it is expecting a direct data connection?

 

[Hood]

Already have it plugged into a switch as all my machines at the moment are on the network, even the plasma in the steel container out the back of the workshop.

I have USB to serial adapters and a USB to network adapter but will have to look for serial to network and have a squint

 

[Hood]

I got the DNC software and it works but is not the best.
You open the programme on the computer, click Transmit CNC button and then it opens for you to browse to the file, once you have chosen then you have to go to the CNC and choose to receive and then type in the file name. That is a pain as you need to remember exactly what the file name is that you want to receive.
It would be easier just using the USB drive to transfer over.