| BGCarrera32 |
02-13-2016 08:40 AM |
Kind of an out there hardware IT question related to an old PC
Guys
I have a CNC milling machine which is powered by proprietary software running on an old OS called "Caldera Dr. DOS". The machine and control were built in about 1999. It is easy to use and serves the purpose. The PC that powers the drive system in the CNC is an old Pentium 1 I think, 233 MHz, but does the job just fine.
The challenge I have is that when I post NC code from my laptop CAM software and need to transfer it to the machine, I am stuck with 1.44 MB floppy drives to do it. So I have this portable 1.44 floppy drive that plugs into a USB port on my laptop, save the file, pop the disk out and stick it in the floppy drive on the CNC and read it in.
I've run into problems lately with these portable USB floppy drives, there's about 2 options out there and they are about $10 outta China and don't last. I'd like to be able to use a USB jump drive, but changing out the whole PC in the CNC control to upgrade isn't an option. The manufacturer wants to sell me a whole new control system at a cost of about $17k to gain the USB ability.
Is there a USB reader that would act as a floppy drive emulator that can be swapped in/plugged in somehow in place of the 1.44 drive on the CNC's PC control? I'm thinking not, but thought I would ask. It would be so much easier to transfer info on a jump drive and get free of the mechanical floppy disks.
Advice?
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