Control Type VI

The newest control type is Type VI. This control features a touch-screen control and is developed for use on most of the new Chiyoda benders. It contains a Yaskawa computer attached to a touch-screen unit that is itself a computer.

Maruka U.S.A. (the distributors of Chiyoda benders in North and South America), refer to this as the touch-screen control, as this is the unique identifier of this control.

The internal Yaskawa/Chiyoda designation for their computer is the MQ85. We use this designation often because all MQ85 controls, regardless of the shape of their enclosure, communicate using the same protocol.

In order to communicate, this control must have the correct version of software installed in four EPROM chips installed on the mainboard. You can check the version by switching the control key switch off then on while watching the lower right corner of the screen. You will see the CHIYODA logo, then the serial/version numbers will show on the bottom right corner of the screen. The significant numbers will be the last few that appear as something like 11.12 or 11.19, 11.A0, etc. The only versions that we know of that will communicate properly are 11.A0 or higher.

As of December 2003, SMT Industries (of Sidney, Ohio) is the service and support arm for Maruka USA/Chiyoda benders in North American. Installing these EPROM upgrades is a process that may require installation by qualified SMT Industries technician. The process requires replacement of four chips and an upgrade through a PCMCIA type card attached to the touch-screen unit. This process also often requires tweaking of low-level parameters in the control. The process usually takes an hour or two, because it is important that every low-level parameter be checked after the conversion to the new software.

Preparation Checklist for this type of Control

This is a recommended set of steps to be sure that your benders are ready for communication with our Benderlink software.

Step 1	Record the bender serial number and control version number for each of your MQ85 controls.
Step 2	E-mail the version numbers to Maruka USA to ask for confirmation that these controls will communicate.
Step 3	Maruka USA will respond with an answer regarding the ability of each Chiyoda bender control to communicate.
Step 4	If a bender (or benders) require an upgrade, then request a quotation from Maruka USA to visit your company and update your Chiyoda control (or controls).

Control Type V

The older control type is known to Chiyoda as Type V. This control type is no longer sold as it was replaced by the Type VI control.

We refer to this control by the Yaskawa designation of MQ41. The reason is that there is another form of the enclosure that you will see on the very small Chiyoda benders (SP-6 models - see the image). Some customers refer to these as the "Memocon" controls.

While the Type V and the model used on the SP-6 appear different, they contain the same mainboard, and therefore the same communications protocol. This is why we used the designation MQ41 control for both of the older types of controls.

The serial number of these controls only give us a general indication of whether these controls will communicate. It is not possible to know for sure if the controls will communicate without using our MQ41 Communications Test Package. We know that for some cases, SMT Industries may have to install entirely new mainboard to make the system communicate.

While all MQ41 computers appear to have serial ports on the mainboard, not all of them will communicate. The communication feature was not implemented until later versions of the MQ41.

 

Preparation Checklist for this type of Control

This is a recommended set of steps to be sure that your benders are ready for communication with our Benderlink software.

Step 1	Order the MQ41 Communications Test Package from Advanced Tubular Technologies. (248 674-2059)
Step 2	Install the software to one of your computers. Plug the cable into your computer and the bender to perform the test per the instructions in the kit.
Step 3	If any bender does not respond to the test software, then record the serial number and software version number of that bender.
Step 4	Request a quotation from Maruka USA to visit your company and update your Chiyoda control (or controls).
Step 5	After the upgrade, repeat step 2 to be sure that the upgrade was effective.