CNC Shark Forum

I have purchased a new HD510 with a pendant and 3hp water cooled spindle and I plan on using the Aspire software. My question is, what is the ready2control software and do I need to activate and use it?

WBill:

R2C, is essentially optional. You can get the full machine functionality by transferring toolpaths (.tap files) onto a USB flash drive, then plugging that into the pendant. Some prefer a computer user interface, others feel perfectly fine using only the pendant. Some use both.

However, there are other limitations to that: the pendant will only let you see a relatively small number of tap file, and it doesn't display long file names very well. So if you have a complex project structure with many toolpath files, you might find it easier to access them in R2C compared with the pendant.

In addition, some have reported problems using R2C where it will perfectly carve a toolpath and then flat-out ruin the project with wayward cuts that go straight through the material. That's some scary stuff, to be sure, but I've also heard of people having the exact same problems running toolpaths using a flash drive plugged into the pendant. As they used to say, "your mileage may vary." I'd say like many things, the majority of people have zero problems with the pendant, and zero problems with R2C. It's always the furious and frustrated ones who make their struggles apparent to the rest of the group, both here and of FB. You can't deny their issues, but saying there's unequivocal truth on either side would be nonsensical.

If you own the R2C already, I'd install and register it and see if it gives you issues. You'll want to go through the Windows settings area for Power (and the advanced settings) and turn anything that might allow the computer to got into sleep mode, or that might allow power to a USB device to be turned off. Leaving the R2C program chugging along during a run without touching the mouse/keyboard on the computer can have the painful effect of the computer believing it can power-down unused parts, and some people find the USB subsystem is one of those. Thus it's important the computer knows to always stay running, power-draw be d@mned.

Hope that helps,

Rando

Thanks again Rando! That's what I thought but wanted to make sure.

Yesterday I started using the R2C program with my SD100 without a problem. I noticed it only opens *.tab files. I have a couple of *.nc files I would love to run thru but it won't open those. I tried GSender program but I don't think it supports my SD100.
Is there a converter to go from *.nc to *.tab? Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
TeoS

Try renaming the file, just change the nc to tap.