Enter Bender Data Setup Window

Inside Bender Data Setup - “Setup this Window” Button

1 - Click on “Setup this Window” on the right side.

2- Click on the Configure Benderlnk Protocols button.

About the Left Side of the Benderlink Menu

Column Descriptions - Left Side

Channel: The gray column on the left shows bender channels.

Note: Channels are not the same as bender numbers. For a detailed description of how bender channels work with a network of benders, see Bender Project Control.

Name: Name the bender whatever makes sense for your team.

Protocol: This configures the communication protocol for each bender. It is important that the correct protocol is selected for your bender, or communications will probably not work.

Network Path or FTP Hostname: This is the network path that allows the VTube-LASER computer to find the bender control on the network for protocols that work through a path. The most common network protocol is Supravision Network.  See this page for information to share with your IT team for the SVNET protocol.

NetPath Type: Set to “Standard Path” or “FTP Hostname.” The most common network protocol, Supravision Network, uses “Standard Path.”

About the Right Side of the Benderlink Window

COM Port: When working with an older bender that uses RS-232 ports and cables for communication, enter the Windows COM port number to use here.  We often use MOXA serial device servers to add COM ports to VTube-LASER computers. Serial Device Servers allow for RS-232 communication over networks.

Timeout Seconds: This determines how long VTube-LASER will wait for a response from the bender. It is used for most types of communications (network, FTP, and RS-232). The default is 10 seconds, but this can be increased if you control sometimes takes longer than 10 seconds to answer a request from VTube-LASER.

SV No Wait: This option allows you to recall data from a bender using the Supravision Network protocol through a USB flash drive.  When using the Supravision Network protocol this way, it makes better sense to never track for a potential timeout.  (You will not be able to anticipate how long it takes to walk out to a bender with the flash drive, and return to VTube-LASER with a response file in the same flash drive.)

This is how the SV No Wait process works: Plug the USB flash drive into the port. Press RECALL, then remove the flash drive and take it to the bender to continue the recall data process.  The bender can be configured to recognize the flash drive as the path to watch for new VTube command files, and then respond to the file by saving new files to the flash drive. Then return the USB flash drive to VTube's computer and press RECALL in VTube again. This time, VTube will find the response file saved by the bender. It will ask if the file it finds should be imported.  Say “Yes” to import the bender file on the USB drive.

Part Name Match: When this switch is ON, VTube-LASER will warn if an incoming part name does not match and let you make a choice about whether to ignore the error or overwrite the name in the VTube-LASER Bender Data Setup window with the name the bender sent.

Ping IP Address: For protocols that use network communications, Windows can take minutes to return an error when it cannot find a computer on the network. However, a network ping returns a failure within 500 milliseconds (½ second). You can enable a ping to a bender's computer IP address before you try to open a network path, so you don't waste time if a connection fails.

Number at Bender: Some protocols (like the Supravision Network protocol) require that each bender be uniquely numbered if they share a common path for transferring files with VTube-LASER. This numbering allows for multiple benders to be on the same file share network and to know if they are the control that VTube is trying to communicate with.  For example, if VTube communicates with Bender 2 on a Supravision network, then all other benders (that are not number 2) will ignore the command files from VTube-LASER.

Don't mix this up with the CHANNEL number in the first column. It is not always the same as a bender number in column 10. With VTube channels, you can assign any bender number to any channel.  For example, bender channels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 can all be assigned to bender #1 in column 10.  This then allows for a user to be assigned channels 1-5 to always work with Bender 1.  Or, since each channel can have its own project (part), you can assign a unique part to any bender channel, and have as many bender channels as you want. For a detailed description of how bender channels work, see Bender Project Control.

CW Rotations Positive at Import: This allows you to change the expected rotation direction for positive when importing from a bender. Read about how to determine rotation directions for your benders.

CW Rotation Positive at Export: This allows users to change the expected rotation direction when exporting to a bender. Read about how to determine rotation directions for your benders.

Ignore Incoming Linear Unit: When communicating with a bender, some controls always return linear data in millimeters. Set this to NO if you want VTube-LASER to prevent the bender from changing the VTube-LASER user interface linear units when they differ from the bender's returned data.

Login Username: Enter the bender's FTP login username.  Only use this for FTP protocols.

Login Password: Enter the bender's FTP login password.  Only use this for FTP protocols.