Service Home How To Procedures Communication With External Device - DPRNT
Last updated: 02/16/2026

Communication With External Device - DPRNT

Introduction

Communication With External Devices - DPRNT[ ]

Macros allow additional capabilities to communicate with peripheral devices. For example, with user provided devices, you can digitize parts, provide runtime inspection reports, or synchronize controls. The commands provided for this are POPEN, DPRNT[ ], and PCLOS.

Communication Preparatory Commands

POPEN and PCLOS are not required on the Haas machine. It has been included so that programs from different controls can be sent to the Haas control.  

CONFIGURE DPRINT for output

1

NGC controls are not equipped with RS232 port, to provide similar functionality DPRINT statements can be sent over TCP network.  DRPINT statements can also be saved in a file

Setting 261 specifies location of the output: Disabled, File, TCP port

If “File” is selected setting 262 specifies the file location (folder).  Setting 262 value is set via ListProg [F3] option.  The output file name is DPRNT.OUT.  The file is in UTF-8 format, The default value for this setting is “User Data” folder.

If “TCP port” is selected use setting 263 specified TCP port. To stream DPRINT output over TCP networks NGC control implements TCP server.  To receive the output any terminal program that supports TCP communication can be used. 

The examples include PUTTY (http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html), TerraTerm (https://ttssh2.osdn.jp/index.html.en).  There are many others.

 

2

To set up a TCP connection, setting 261 must be set to “TCP Port” and setting 263 must be set to the port number you wish to connect to in order to receive DPRNT messages.

As an example, to establish a connection using Putty:

  1. Enter the IP address of the machine along with the Port number previously chosen for Setting 263.
  2. Select the Connection type “Raw” or “Telnet”
  3. Press Open to open the connection.

These options can be saved in Putty as a “Saved Session” for subsequent connections. If the connection is not remaining open for as long as desired, make sure that “Enable TCP keepalives” is selected in the “Connection” options.

3

To verify that connection is active enter “ping” in the Putty terminal may be used to test the connection as the machine will send a “pingret” if the connection is active. Below is a sample output obtained from running the code in the DPRNT format example table. Up to 5 simultaneous connections may be established at any given time.

Formatted Output

The DPRNT statement allows the programmer to send formatted text to the serial port. Any text and any variable can be printed to the serial port. The form of the DPRNT statement is

as follows: DPRNT [<text> <#nnnn[wf]>... ] ;

DPRNT must be the only command in the block. In the previous example, <text> is any character from A to Z or the letters (+,-, /,*, ., ?, and the space). When an asterisk is output, it is converted to a space. The <#nnnn[wf]> is a variable followed by a format. The variable number can be any macro variable. The format [wf] is required and consists of two digits within square brackets. Remember that macro variables are real numbers with a whole part and a fractional part. The first digit in the format designates the total places reserved in the output for the whole part. The second digit designates the total places reserved for the fractional part.

WF: The total places reserved for output cannot be equal to zero or greater that eight. For example this formats are not valid: [00] [54] [45] [36]

NGC: NGC can use any number from 0-9 for both whole and fractional parts

A decimal point is printed out between the whole part and the fractional part. The fractional part is rounded to the least significant place. When zero places are reserved for the fractional part, then no decimal point is printed out. Trailing zeros are printed if there is a fractional part. At least one place is reserved for the whole part, even when a zero is used.

If the value of the whole part has fewer digits than have been reserved, then leading spaces are output. If the value of the whole part has more digits than has been reserved, then the field is expanded so that these numbers are printed.

A carriage return is sent out after every DPRNT block.

 

Execution

DPRNT statements are executed at block interpretation time. DPRNT statements are executed at look-ahead time.  This means that the programmer must be careful about where the DPRNT statements appear in the program, particularly if the intent is to print out.

G103 is useful for limiting look-ahead. If you wanted to limit look-ahead interpretation to one block, you would include this command at the start of your program: This causes the control to look ahead (2) blocks.

G103 P1 ;

To cancel the look-ahead limit, change the command to G103 P0.   G103 cannot be used when cutter compensation is active.

Editing

Improperly structured or improperly placed macro statements will generate an alarm. Be careful when editing expressions; brackets must be balanced. The DPRNT[ ] function can be edited much like a comment. It can be deleted, moved as a whole item, or individual items within the bracket can be edited. Variable references and format expressions must be altered as a whole entity. If you wanted to change [24] to [44], place the cursor so that [24] is highlighted, enter [44] and press [ENTER]. Remember, you can use the [HANDLE JOG] control to maneuver through long DPRNT[ ] expressions. Addresses with expressions can be somewhat confusing. In this case, the alphabetic address stands alone. For instance, this block contains an address expression in X:

G01 G90 X [COS [90]] Y3.0 (CORRECT) ;

Here, the X and brackets stand-alone and are individually editable items. It is possible, through editing, to delete the entire expression and replace it with a floating-point constant.

G01 G90 X 0 Y3.0 (WRONG) ;

The above block will result in an alarm at runtime. The correct form looks as follows:

G01 G90 X0 Y3.0 (CORRECT) ;

NOTE: There is no space between the X and the Zero (0). REMEMBER when you see an alpha character standing alone it is an address expression.