Failure Pattern After IPC Disk Replacement
In the documented Meldas 625 installation, an IPC running Windows 95 provided the interface between the NC and HMI. After its hard disk failed, recoverable system files were copied from the damaged disk. A replacement disk was partitioned and formatted, Windows 95 was installed, and the recovered files were restored.
The IPC and HMI then started without reported errors, but every cited NC-dependent function remained unavailable: loading programs, displaying position, and setting the zero point. This separates successful HMI startup from successful NC communication.
Evidence-Based Fault Isolation
| Observation | Engineering conclusion |
|---|---|
| Windows 95 starts on the replacement disk | The rebuilt IPC can boot; this does not verify the NC interface. |
| The HMI starts without an error message | The restored HMI can launch; startup alone does not prove communication. |
| Program loading, position display, and zero-point setting all fail | The failure affects multiple functions that depend on the NC connection, so isolate the shared communication path before troubleshooting each function separately. |
| Reinstalling the Runtime API did not restore operation | A Runtime API reinstall alone was insufficient in this case. |
Recovery and Verification Procedure
- Preserve the failed disk and all recovered files. Do not treat a successful file copy as proof that every required communication component or setting was recovered.
- Use the three reported NC-dependent functions as a test set: program loading, live position display, and zero-point setting. If all remain unavailable while the HMI opens normally, continue testing the common NC-to-HMI communication layer.
- Compare the rebuilt IPC with a verified machine backup or documented original configuration. Check the complete communication software installation, its configuration, and the IPC interface used by the NC. The evidence does not identify filenames, addresses, drivers, ports, or parameter values, so do not substitute guessed values.
- Restart the IPC and HMI after restoring the verified configuration, then repeat all three functional tests. Record which function first returns and any newly displayed diagnostic message.
Known Limitation of the Case Record
The case was reported as solved by the user, but the corrective action was not documented. Therefore, the evidence does not support naming a missing driver, configuration file, hardware interface, address, or NC parameter as the root cause. The defensible conclusion is narrower: rebuilding Windows 95 and restoring the available system files allowed the HMI to run, while reinstalling the Runtime API did not by itself recover NC communication.
FAQ
Why does the Meldas 625 HMI start but show no position?
In this case, the HMI launched after the Windows 95 rebuild, but communication-dependent data such as position was absent. HMI startup therefore did not verify the NC connection.
Will reinstalling the Runtime API restore Meldas 625 communication?
Not necessarily. Reinstalling the Runtime API was attempted in the documented case and did not restore program loading, position display, or zero-point setting.
What should be checked after replacing the Meldas 625 IPC hard disk?
Compare the rebuilt IPC with a verified backup or original configuration, focusing on the complete communication software, its settings, and the IPC interface to the NC. Verify recovery by testing program loading, position display, and zero-point setting.