DNC server: let CNC operators request programs from the machine

In server mode, DNC Precision waits for the machine. The operator requests a program, a list of programs or a folder change from the CNC control's keyboard, and DNC Precision answers on its own, with no one at the PC. Programs punched from the control are saved in the machine's folder automatically, and the control can get a short report back.

Server mode is part of DNC Precision Professional and Enterprise. It works through the same serial connection as manual sending and receiving, one COM port per machine.

How a request works

The operator types a short request program on the control and sends it to DNC Precision, the same way as punching any program:

O8888
N0010 (DIR=/VIPROS)
N0020 (PRG=0010)
%

The first line is the name of the request program. DNC Precision looks for commands only in programs with the name you set, for example 8888, or in a range of names such as 8880-8889.
DIR=/VIPROS sets the folder, relative to the machine's folders on the PC.
PRG=0010 asks for program 0010. DNC Precision builds the file name from a prefix, the requested name, a suffix and the extensions you set (for example nc;ncp;iso), finds the first matching file in the machine's folders and queues it.
The % ends the program, as set in the machine's program format.

Within three minutes the operator switches the control to receive (READ), and the program arrives. If the request cannot be met, DNC Precision can send a report program that says why.

What the machine can ask for

You decide which command names the server understands and what each one does. The actions are:

Action	What DNC Precision does
Send a file	Queues the requested program for sending
File list	Sends the list of programs in the machine's folders, formatted as a program
Set the relative path	Looks for programs in a subfolder
Delete the file	Deletes a program from the machine's folder
Set the file for operations, Rename to	Renames a program
The name of the received file	Names the program that is arriving now
Cancel current operation, Cancel all operations	Stops the running transfer, such as a drip feed, or also clears everything queued after it
Operator name	Records who works on the machine (used by the machine monitor)
Tool break (Enterprise)	Sends the rest of a program from the block where the tool broke
Skip	Ignores a command and notes it in the log

Commands can come from the comments of a request program, as above, or from a control header that some controls send before a program. When a control uses another format, regular expressions pick the command name and value out of any text.

File lists and reports

A file list arrives at the control as a program, so the operator can read it on the screen. For example:

:8889
N1000 ( DIRECTORY LIST FOR COM2 )
N1010 ( ---------------------------- )
N1020 (1111 28.01.2026 12:23:30 121)
N1030 (8888 28.01.2026 13:07:00 23)
N9999 ( END OF LISTING )
M30
%

You choose the header and footer, the columns (name, extension, path, size, date and time), and whether the lines are numbered and sent as comments.

Reports tell the operator that a program was received, that receiving failed, or that a request could not be completed. Each report is a template with variables such as the program name, file name, size and folder of the last received program, or the reason for an error.

Programs from the machine

When the operator punches a program, DNC Precision saves it in the machine's folder under the program name it finds in the data (you set the prefix that marks the name, such as O). If a file with that name exists, the old file can go to a backup folder, or either file can be renamed, so nothing is overwritten by mistake.

Running unattended

Windows service. DNC Precision can run as a Windows service that starts with Windows, before anyone logs in, and that Windows can restart after a failure.
Several machines. Each machine has its own COM port, folders, format and commands. Professional serves three machines, Enterprise any number.
Machines on the network. A machine whose RS-232 port is connected to an Ethernet-to-serial device server or a Wi-Fi serial adapter is just another COM port to DNC Precision, as long as the adapter's driver creates a virtual COM port.
No internet needed. The licence is activated once, online or by email; a DNC PC that is fully offline gets the licence on a USB drive from a computer that has internet. After activation, DNC Precision needs no internet connection.
Logs. A message log for each machine and a log of the raw data received show what happened when a request fails.
Barcodes (Enterprise). Instead of typing a request, the operator scans a barcode with the program name, and with the machine ID if one scanner serves several machines.
Remote control (Enterprise). Operators run the DNC Precision client on their own PCs and log in to the server with their own rights. Each client PC needs a Professional licence.

Setting it up

Set up the machine for manual mode first: port, handshake and program format. Send and receive a short program to be sure they work.
On the server mode pages, set the machine's folders and how file names are built: prefix, suffix and extensions.
Set the request format: the request program's name (for example 8888), the characters that start and end a command (for example the brackets of a comment) and the separator between the name and the value (for example =).
Map your command names to actions, for example PRG to "Send a file" and DIR to "Set the relative path".
Turn on the reports you want and edit their text.
Select the machine and click Server. Send a request from the control to test it.

The help describes every setting. Port settings for many controls are in CNC and DNC settings.

Editions and trial

Server mode is in Professional and Enterprise; the Free Edition sends and receives in manual mode only. Download the full version to try the server mode with your own machine: the trial works with one machine, and its server mode runs for 30 minutes, enough to test requests from your control.

Questions

What is a DNC server? A PC that stores the NC programs and sends them to CNC machines when the machines ask for them. In DNC Precision's server mode the operator requests a program from the control's keyboard, and DNC Precision finds the file and sends it, without anyone working at the PC.

How does the operator request a program? The operator types a short request program on the control, for example O8888 with the line (PRG=0010), and sends it to the DNC server. DNC Precision builds the file name from the request, finds the file in the machine's folders and queues it. The operator then switches the control to receive (READ) within three minutes.

Which edition of DNC Precision includes the server mode? Professional and Enterprise. The Free Edition sends and receives programs in manual mode only. Program requests by barcode, tool-break restarts and remote control from other PCs need Enterprise.

Can DNC Precision run as a Windows service? Yes, in the Professional and Enterprise editions. As a Windows service it starts with Windows, before anyone logs in, and Windows can be set to restart it after a failure.

Can operators control the DNC server from their own PCs? Yes, with Enterprise on the server. Operators run the DNC Precision client on their PCs and log in with their own accounts; the administrator decides who may add or edit machines, start or stop the server mode, and send or receive programs. Each client PC needs a Professional licence.

Does the DNC server need an internet connection? No. The licence is activated once, online or by email; a DNC PC that is fully offline gets the licence on a USB drive from a computer that has internet. After activation, DNC Precision needs no internet connection.