Haas Classic
Compatibility
Chatter is compatible with Haas machines 2008 and up. The connection to Haas Classic controls is via a physical RS-232 connection to a Chatter device, so the onboard networking option is not required.
Prerequisites
Each Haas Classic machine requires a Chatter device to be connected to the RS-232 port on the machine, which means one Chatterbox per machine. The hardware and cable are provided by Chatter. Ensure the Chatter device is connected to your WiFi network in an area with good signal strength.
For more information on setting the WiFi connection, please refer to the Chatterbox WiFi Configuration guide.
Configuring the Haas RS232 Settings
To ensure proper serial communication between the Chatterbox and the control, navigate to the RS232 settings by pressing the SETTINGS hardkey, then typing 11 and hitting the DOWN ARROW key. This will jump you to the correct section in the I/O tab.
The following settings should be set on the Haas control:
| # | Setting Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | BAUD RATE SELECT | 9600 |
| 12 | PARITY SELECT | NONE |
| 13 | STOP BIT | 1 |
| 14 | SYNCHRONIZATION | XON/XOFF |
| 37 | RS-232 DATA BITS | 8 |
| 24 | LEADER TO PUNCH | BLANK |
| 25 | EOB PATTERN | CR LF |
| 41 | ADD SPACES RS232 OUT | OFF |
| 143 | MACHINE DATA COLLECT | ON |
| 187 | MACHINE DATA ECHO | OFF |
Setup
- Plug the data cable (USB to RS232) in between the Chatterbox and the machine.
- Power on the Chatterbox.
- Visit the machine's settings page to verify Chatterbox internet connection and incoming data.
- Cycle through some data on the machine (change mode, program, tool, etc) to verify live data is being received into Chatter.
Troubleshooting
The box is not connecting
- Verify there is insufficient wifi network coverage.
- Verify the wifi network credentials are incorrect
The box connects to Chatter, but there is no incoming data.
- Verify the physical RS232 connection is secure
- Verify machine serial settings settings are correct
Corrupt or incorrect data is being seen in Chatter
- The machine may not keeping up with the rate of requests from the Chatterbox, change the "Frequency" setting in Chatter to a higher ser number (start with 3) and power cycle the box. This is the number of seconds between requests.
- Make sure there are no duplicate macro variable data types on the machine configuration page (ie there are two entries for a single type of data)
Machine is in "MEM" mode but program shows "MDI"
This is a known limitation of the Haas controller, it is unable to output a program number while in-cycle. Wait a small amount of time (~2) seconds after switching from MDI to MEM before pressing the cycle start button.