CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 3,668,653 A
• Filed: 10/22/1968
• Issued: 06/06/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald G. Fair, Harold L. Baeverstad, William G. Fisher
• Original Assignee: Donald G. Fair, Harold L. Baeverstad, William G. Fisher
• Inventors: Fair, Donald G., Baeverstad, Harold L., Fisher, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henon, Paul J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woods, P. R.
• Application Number:
  US04/769,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 340/172.5 235/92,151.11 318/562,569-574
• US Class Current: 700/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/371 the positional error is used to control continuously the servomotor according to its magnitude
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/408 characterised by data handling or data format, e.g. reading, buffering or conversion of data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4181 characterised by direct numerical control [DNC]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34163 Rotate a segment
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35293 Execute program and check block of data, on interrupt display block
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36078 Insert, read in new command instruction to modify fixed program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36243 Convert source, high level code to machine, object code
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37092 Display position actual and or target
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50111 Retract tool along path, reengage along same path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An on-line data processing machine controls the operation of one or more machine tools. A general purpose communications link allows each machine tool and/or the operator therefore to communicate with the data processing machine and either change the operations which the machine tool would otherwise perform under control of an existing stored program, or add new or partly new operations, which if desired can thereafter immediately be performed by the machine tool.

Claims

1. A control system for machine apparatus, comprising:

data processing means including input and output channel means for data, said data processing means coupling blocks of machine part instructions data to said output channel means for controlling the operation of the machine apparatus, language translator means for converting source language instructions data into blocks of machine part instructions data, and said data processing means interpreting and acting upon control instructions data including said source language instructions data for controlling the data coupled to said output channel means;

machine control means including means connectable with said output channel means for interpreting said blocks of machine part instructions data and controlling the operation of the machine apparatus in accordance therewith and means connectable with said input channel means for generating control instructions data including source language instructions data identifying prescribed operations; and

data link means coupled between the input and output channel means and said machine control means for transmitting instructions data in both directions between said data processing means and said machine control means to cause said machine apparatus when so enabled to immediately perform said prescribed operations.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein said machine control means includes data display means coupled by said data link means to the output channel means of said data processing means for visually displaying data coupled to the output channel means.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein said machine control means includes means storing information on the Operating condition of the machine apparatus other than a request for a block of machine part instructions data, and sense means for controlling transmission by said data link means of the stored operating condition information from said storing means to the input channel means of said data processing means.

4. The control system of claim 3 wherein said data processing means includes means establishing a sequence of instructions data for controlling the operation of the machine apparatus, and means responsive to particular stored operating condition information transmitted to said input channel under control of said sense means for modifying the operation of said establishing means.

5. The control system of claim 4 wherein said particular stored operating condition information indicates the location of the machine apparatus after machine part instructions data has been coupled to said interpreting means.

6. The control system of claim 5 wherein said particular stored operating condition information is stored in response to the machine apparatus retracting to a location prior to the location indicated by the machine part instructions data.

7. The control system of claim 1 for a plurality of machine apparatuses, wherein said data processing means includes storage means for storing a plurality of programs each consisting of a series of source language instructions data and for storing said language translator means, means for determining when individual stored programs are to control an individual machine apparatus, execution means responsive to said determining means for causing the stored language translator means to individually convert the stored programs, a plurality of machine control means each corresponding with a machine apparatus, and means including the data link means for switching the input and output channel means of said data processing means between each of the machine control means, whereby the data processing means individually services each of said machine apparatuses with machine part instructions data corresponding to individual stored programs.

8. The control system of claim 7 wherein said switching means includes a control unit for time sharing the data processing means with each of said machine apparatuses, and said plurality of machine control means each includes means for storing machine part instructions data from said data processing means and for causing the machine apparatus associated therewith to be controlled by the stored machine part instructions data while said control unit is time sharing said data processing means with other machine apparatuses.

9. The control system of claim 8 wherein said control unit includes means for sequentially generating a plurality of addresses, each of said machine control means being uniquely identified by one of said addresses, said machine control means each includes means coupled to said address generating means for generating an address compared signal when an address corresponding to the unique address of that machine control means is identified, and means responsive to more than one machine control means generating said address compared signal for generating an error signal.

10. The control system of claim 9 wherein said control unit includes means responsive to said error signal for preventing said data processing means from transmitting machine part instructions data to said data link means.

11. The control system of claim 7 wherein each machine control means includes operator actuable attention means coupled via said switching means to the input channel means of said data processing means, said attention means, upon actuation by an operator, causing said data processing means to determine independent of said determining means that said data processing means is to be connected via said switching means with the machine control means corresponding to the actuated attention means in order to individually service the corresponding machine aPparatus.

12. The control system of claim 1 wherein said interpreting means includes means storing machine part instructions data which forms a portion of a prescribed sequence of machine part instructions data presently controlling said machine apparatus, said generating means being actuable to generate modify control instructions data to indicate a modification to be made to said prescribed sequence of machine part instructions data, and said data processing means includes means responsive to said modify control instructions data for generating instructions data coupled via said output channel means and said data link means to said storing means to modify the machine part instructions data stored therein.

13. The control system of claim 12 wherein said storing means is responsive to said modify control instructions data to clear the machine part instructions data stored therein.

14. A control system for machine apparatus, comprising:

data processing means including input and output channel means for data, said data processing means coupling blocks of machine part instructions data to said output channel means for controlling the operation of the machine apparatus, language translator means for converting source language instructions data into blocks of machine part instructions data, and said data processing means interpreting and acting upon control instructions data including said source language instructions data for controlling the data coupled to said output channel means;

machine control means including storing means connectable with said output channel means for storing said blocks of machine part instructions data and controlling means for controlling the operation of the machine apparatus in accordance with the blocks of data stored in said storing means and manual selection means connectable with said input channel means and actuable by an operator for generating source language instructions data;

data link means coupled between the input and output channel means and said machine control means for transmitting instructions data in both directions between said data processing means and said machine control means, said data link means coupling said manual selection means via the input channel means to the language translator means to control the blocks of machine part instructions data next coupled to said output channel means by said data processing means.

15. The control system of claim 14 wherein said data processing means includes storage means for storing instructions data for machining a part on the machine apparatus, and means for entering into said storage means instructions data corresponding to the blocks of machine part instructions data coupled to said output channel means as a result of actuation of said manual selection means.

16. The control system of claim 14 wherein said data processing means includes program means for establishing a series of individual machine part instructions data blocks which are to be performed in a given sequential order by said machine apparatus, means for coupling in said sequential order each part instructions data block from said program means to said output channel means for transmission by said data link means to said storing means, said manual selection means includes means for generating identifying control instructions data which identifies a part instructions data block other than the next sequential part instructions data block which said coupling means would otherwise couple from the program means to said output channel means, said data processing means further includes means responsive to said identifying control instruction data for generating a machine part instructions data block to control movement of said machine apparatus to a location where the identified part instructions data block is to start controlling the machine apparatus, means connecting said generated machine part instructions data block to said coupling means, and search means foR thereafter coupling the identified part instructions data block from said program means to said coupling means in order to continue the program from the identified part instructions data block.

17. The control system of claim 16 wherein said data processing means includes means responsive to said identifying control instructions data for generating a clear instructions data, and means coupling said clear instructions data via said data link means to said storing means to clear said individual part instructions data block stored therein prior to connecting said generated part instructions data block to said coupling means.

18. The control system of claim 14 wherein said data processing means includes storage means for storing a series of machine part instructions data blocks which are to be performed and for storing a given sequential order for performing said blocks by the machine apparatus, means for coupling in said sequential order each part instructions data block from said storage means and via said output channel means and data link means to said storing means for control of said machine apparatus, and means responsive to generated source language instructions data from said manual selection means for modifying said series of part instructions data blocks while said machine apparatus is being controlled thereby.

19. The control system of claim 18 wherein said modifying means deletes one of said series of part instructions data blocks in response to delete source language instructions data from said manual selection means.

20. The control system of claim 18 wherein said modifying means adds a new part instructions data block after an intermediate one of said series of part instructions data blocks in response to add source language instructions data from said manual selection means.

21. The control system of claim 20 including means for selecting whether the next part instructions data block after a modified part instructions data block is to be coupled by said coupling means from said storage means or from said modifying means in response to add source language instructions data.

22. The control system of claim 18 wherein said data processing means includes a new program memory means for recording part instructions data blocks coupled to said storing means, said modifying means shunting a portion of said series of part instructions data blocks from said storage means to said new program memory means and blocking said portion of part instructions data blocks from being coupled to said storing means in response to proceed without motion source language instructions data from said manual selection means.

23. A control system for machine apparatus, comprising:

data processing means including input and output channel means for data, said data processing means includes coupling means for coupling blocks of machine part instructions data to said output channel means for controlling the operation of the machine apparatus and processing means for interpreting control instructions data to control the data coupled to said output channel means;

machine control means including means connectable with said output channel means for interpreting said blocks of machine part instructions data and controlling the operation of the machine apparatus in accordance therewith and means connectable with said input channel means for generating control instructions data;

data link means coupled between the input and output channel means and said machine control means for transmitting instructions data in both directions between said data processing means and said machine control means;

data display means coupled by said data link means to the output channel means of said data processing means for visually displaying data coupled to the output channel means;

said data processing means includes message means for generating information related to but different than machine part instructions data, said coupling means and said dAta link means transmits to said data display means said information from said message means prior to the interpreting means controlling the machine apparatus in accordance with the related machine part instructions data; and

means actuable by an operator upon approval of the visually displayed information for causing said interpreting means to control the operation of the machine apparatus in accordance with the machine part instructions data related thereto.

24. The control system of claim 23 wherein said data processing means includes language translator means for converting source language instructions data into blocks of machine part instructions data, said control instructions generating means include manual selection means actuable by an operator for generating source language instructions data coupled by the data link means to the input channel means to control assembly of part instructions data which is to be performed by the machine apparatus, said message means generating information related to but different than assembled part instructions data, and said means actuable by the operator upon approval of the visually displayed information causes the assembled part instructions data to be interpreted by said interpreting means to immediately control the operation of the machine apparatus.

25. A control system for machine apparatus, comprising:

data processing means including input and output channel means for data, said data processing means generating part instructions data coupled to said output channel means for controlling the operation of the machine apparatus, and said data processing means interpreting and acting upon control instructions data for controlling the data coupled to said output channel means;

machine control means including means connectable with said output channel means for interpreting said part instructions data and controlling the operation of the machine apparatus in accordance therewith and means connectable with said input channel means for generating control instructions data; and

data link means coupled between the input and output channel means and said machine control means for transmitting instructions data in both directions between said data processing means and said machine control means, said data link means includes data transfer control means for controlling transfer of data to and from said data processing means and machine transfer control means for controlling transfer of data to and from said machine control means, each transfer control means having circuits for receiving instructions data from the data link means and circuits for transmitting instructions data to the data link means and each transfer control means having means establishing which of said circuits is active to control the operation of the transfer control means, said data respective transfer control means having its receiving circuits connected to said input channel means and its transmitting circuits connected to said output channel means, said machine transfer control means having its receiving circuits connected to said interpreting means and its transmitting circuits connected to said generating means, means for causing the establishing means in one of said transfer control means to activate one of said circuits therein, and means intercoupling said establishing means and responsive to activation of one of said circuits in said one transfer control means to cause the establishing means in the other of said transfer control means to activate the opposite of said circuits therein, thereby transferring instructions data over said data link means.

26. The control system of claim 25 wherein the transmitting circuits in each of said transfer control means generates a transmit control signal coupled to said data link means to indicate that the instructions data then on the data link means should be accepted, the receiving circuits in each of said transfer control means includes means responsive to recEipt of the transmit control signal to gate the data link means to the means connected with said receiving circuits and to generate a receive control signal coupled to said data link means to indicate that the instructions data has been accepted, the transmitting circuits in each of said transfer control means further includes means responsive to receipt of the receive control signal to gate the next instructions data to said data link means and generate the next transmit control signal.

27. The control circuit of claim 25 wherein one of said transfer control means includes override means forcing its establishing means to activate a particular one of said circuits when the other of said circuits has been activated and the establishing means in the other of said transfer control means activates circuits opposite to the circuits which are activated, whereby instructions data transmitted in one of said directions over said data link means has priority over instructions data transmitted in the opposite direction over said data link means.

28. A control system for controlling movement of a machine tool, comprising:

data processing means generating part instructions data for controlling the operation of the machine tool, including feedrate information for controlling the rate of movement of the machine tool; and

machine tool control means including means coupled to said data processing means for interpreting said part instructions data and controlling the operation of the machine tool in accordance therewith and feedrate override means manually actuable by an operator for overriding the feedrate information on the part instructions data coupled to the interpreting means to change the instructed rate of movement of the machine tool, without changing the part instructions data from said processing means, wherein the part instructions data includes prevent override information in addition to said feedrate information when an operator is to be prevented from overriding the feedrate information, and said machine tool control means includes means responsive to the prevent override information for disabling the feedrate override means.

29. The control system of claim 28 wherein said interpreting means includes an oscillator and pulse generating means having a generated pulse output with a repetition rate controlled by the frequency of said oscillator, said generated pulse output being coupled to a multistage counter, each stage of said counter generating a counter pulse, storage and interpolating means having a storage section for storing said feedrate information and having an interconnecting section with a plurality of inputs coupled to each stage of the counter and a common feedrate output, said interconnecting section being responsive to the stored feedrate information in said storage section for passing counter pulses to said common feedrate output to control the rate of movement of the machine tool, said feedrate override means varying the frequency of said oscillator, a clock having a fixed reference phase, and means synchronizing the generated pulse output to said fixed reference phase of said clock, whereby the rate of movement of the machine tool is synchronized with respect to said clock whether the rate is controlled by said feedrate information or by said feedrate override means.

30. A control system for controlling movement of a machine tool, comprising:

data processing means generating part instructions data for controlling the operation of the machine tool, including feedrate information for controlling the rate of movement of the machine tool; and

machine tool control means including means coupled to said data processing means for interpreting said part instructions data and controlling the operation of the machine tool in accordance therewith and feedrate override means manually actuable by an operator for overriding the feedrate information on the part instructions data coupled to the interpreting meAns to change the instructed rate of movement of the machine tool, without changing the part instructions data from said data processing means, means for determining when the following error of the machine tool exceeds a predetermined value and means for generating a signal in response to the determination, and means responsive to said signal for actuating said feedrate override means to reduce the rate of movement of the machine tool.

31. A control system for a plural axes machine tool, comprising:

means for supplying part instructions data for moving the machine tool along a plural axes path; and

machine tool control means including means coupled to said supplying means for interpreting said part instructions data and controlling the operation of the machine tool in accordance therewith to move said machine tool along said plural axes path, and means responsive to information in the part instructions data for retracting the machine tool along the same plural axes path which the machine tool followed under control of the part instructions data.

32. The control system of claim 31 wherein said supplying means supplies a series of individual part instructions data blocks, each individual block moving the machine tool along a plural axes path, and said retracting means moves the machine tool to the start of the path defined by the individual block controlling movement of the machine tool when the retract occurs.

33. The control system of claim 32 wherein said interpreting means includes a counter stepped through a plurality of states representing numbers, interpolating means responsive to the individual block and the states of the counter for moving the machine tool along said plural axes path, means for selecting a retract operation, said retracting means includes means responsive to said selecting means for stopping said counter in its instant state, means for changing the state of said counter to represent a number complementary to the number represented by its instant state, means coupled to said interpolating means for directing movement in an opposite direction along each of the plural axes, and means effective after operation of said changing means for starting said counter to cause the counter to step through the same number of states which had occurred up to the time of stopping of the counter.

34. The control system of claim 31 wherein said supplying means supplies in a given sequential order a series of individual part instructions data blocks, each individual block moving the machine tool along a plural axes path, means actuable by an operator for indicating that the machine tool is to retract along the plural axes path followed since a selected prior individual block, and said retracting means moves the machine tool in an opposite direction along the plural axes path defined by each prior individual block to the start of the path defined by the selected prior individual block.

35. A control system for a machine tool, comprising:

computer means for storing a plurality of part programs each consisting of a series of instructions including axes data for controlling movement along the axes of the machine tool and miscellaneous data for controlling machine tool functions other than axes movement, and a control program shared in common with the plurality of stored part programs and selectable to modify at least the machine tool movement produced by the axes data forming the stored part programs;

machine control means including movement means responsive to said axes data for controlling the machine tool movement and means responsive to the miscellaneous data for controlling the other functions of the machine tool;

machine logic means for maintaining continuous data coupling with the machine control means; and

a control unit for establishing and directing the flow of data between the computer means and the machine logic means to directly control the machine toll by the computer means, including operator selectable means for concurrently selecting one of said part programs and said control program to cause said control program to modify at least the stored axes data of the selected one part program, whereby said machine control means produces a machine tool movement modified from the movement defined by the stored part program.

36. The control system of claim 35 for a plurality of machine tools each directly controllable by two or more of said plurality of stored part programs, including machine control means for each of said plurality of machine tools and an associated machine logic means for maintaining continuous data coupling with its associated machine control means, and machine logic means includes means for storing said axes data and said miscellaneous data to uninterruptedly control the machine control means associated therewith while said control unit is establishing and directly the flow of data between the computer means and a different machine logic means, said control unit includes operator selectable means for each of said machine tools to cause said computer means to share said control program in common with each of the plurality of machine tools.

37. A remote control system for a plurality of digital controlled, plural axes machine apparatuses located in an electrically noisy environment, comprising:

binary processing means located remote from the apparatuses and the electrically noisy environment for generating a plurality of sequences of binary signals, each of the sequences forming a program to control the operation of one of the digital controlled apparatuses, said binary signals being subject to interference by electrical noise;

a plurality of machine apparatus control means each associated with one of said plurality of machine apparatuses, each control means including first means located remote from the associated machine apparatus for converting said binary signals into a plurality of noise immune signals comprising an analog phase shifted signal for each axis of the associated machine apparatus, and second means located adjacent the associated machine apparatus for receiving the noise immune phase shifted signals from the associated first means and controlling the operation of the plural axes in accordance therewith; and

time share means for connecting said binary processing means to each of said plurality of machine apparatus control means for simultaneously controlling each of said plurality of machine apparatuses by the program for that machine apparatus.

38. The remote control system of claim 37 wherein each of said first means stores at least a portion of said binary signals in a plurality of separate memories each individually gatable to couple the signals stored therein to a data link coupled to the associated second means, transmit control means for sequentially gating each of said memories, each of said second means includes a plurality of storage means for directly controlling the associated machine apparatus in accordance with signals stored therein, and receive control means operating in synchronism with said transmit control means for sequentially gating the signals on said data link to each of said storage means.

39. A control system for machine apparatus, comprising:

program means for establishing a series of individual part instruction blocks which are to be performed in a given sequential order by the machine apparatus;

machine control means for controlling the operation of the machine apparatus in response to a part instruction block coupled thereto;

means for coupling in said sequential order each part instruction block from said program means to said machine control means;

means to select a part instruction block other than the next sequential part instruction block which said coupling means would otherwise couple from the program means to said machine control means;

means for automatically moving said machine apparatus to the location where The selected part instruction block is to start controlling the machine apparatus; and

means to couple the selected part instruction block from said program means to said coupling means in order to continue the program from the selected part instruction block.

40. The control system of claim 39 wherein each of said individual part instruction blocks includes data identifying the absolute position of the machine apparatus when controlled by that block, said moving means includes first means responsive to the part instruction blocks for storing the absolute position data of the machine apparatus at its instant location and second means responsive to the selected part instruction block for storing the absolute position data of the machine apparatus at the location where the selected part instruction is to start, compare means for subtracting the absolute position data stored in said first and second means to determine a difference amount, and means responsive to said difference amount for generating a part instruction block coupled to said machine control means to produce a corresponding amount of movement.

41. The control system of claim 39 wherein said machine control means includes means for storing individual part instruction blocks to control the operation of the machine apparatus, means responsive to said selected part instruction block to generate a clear signal, and said coupling means includes means coupling said clear signal to said storing means for clearing the individual part instruction block prior to said moving means causing said machine apparatus to move to the location where the selected part instruction block is to start controlling the machine apparatus.

42. A control system for machine apparatus, comprising:

means storing a machine part instruction block for controlling the operation of the machine apparatus, said block including a plurality of data bits which collectively control at least a portion of the operation of the machine apparatus;

machine control means responsive to said plurality of data bits for controlling said portion of the operation of the machine apparatus;

link means coupled between said storing means and said machine control means and including control lines and a plurality of data lines less than said plurality of bits, at least one of said data lines being utilized to transmit data in both directions;

means for transmitting data over said at least one data line from the location of said machine control means to a remote location; and

transfer control means for transmitting said plurality of bits from said storing means to said machine control means, including first means associated with said storing means for gating a portion of said plurality of bits to said data lines and for generating a signal coupled to said control lines to indicate that the machine control means should accept the bits then on the data lines, second means associated with said machine control means and responsive to receipt of said accept signal on said control lines for coupling the data lines to the machine control means and for generating a signal coupled to the control lines to indicate completion of the receive operation, said first means being responsive to receipt of said completion signal on said control lines for actuating the transfer control means in order to gate the next portion of said plurality of bits to said data lines.

43. The control system of claim 42 wherein said storing means includes a plurality of separately gatable memories less than the plurality of data bits, said memories storing said plurality of data bits therein, each memory including output gate means actuable to couple the bits stored therein to said data lines, said first means includes a counter having a plurality of separate output lines, each output line being coupled to the output gate means of a different one of said memories, means for stepping said counter to sequentially actuate each of the output gate means, each stepping of said counter generating said accept signal, said machine control means includes a plurality of separately gatable memories corresponding to the memories in said storing means and having outputs controlling said portion of the operation of the machine apparatus, each memory including input gate means actuable to couple the memory to the data lines, and said second means includes a counter having a plurality of separate output lines, each output line being coupled to the input gate means of a different one of said memories, said counter being stepped in response to said accept signal on said control lines to sequentially actuate each of the input gate means, each step generating said completion signal.

44. A counter, comprising:

a plurality of stages, only one of which generates an output pulse at a time, each stage including a bistable unit having first and second states;

a clock for generating a series of sequentially occurring clock pulses;

first means connecting said bistable units in circuit with said clock for causing only one bistable unit to change from its first to its second state for each of said clock pulses, the bistable unit which changes from its first to its second state corresponding to the stage of the counter which is to generate said output pulse; and

second means connecting said bistable units in circuit with said clock for causing each stage to generate its output pulse before the bistable unit in that stage changes from its first to its second state.

45. The counter of claim 44 including synchronous means connecting said bistable units in circuit with said clock to cause said output pulses to be generated at a fixed phase relationship with respect to said clock pulses.

46. The counter of claim 44 wherein said second means includes gate means associated with each stage, each of said gate means having an input from the bistable unit associated with that stage and an input from the gate means from the preceding stage, each gate means having an output only when its associated bistable unit and all preceding bistable units are in their second state, and compare means associated with each stage, each compare means having an input from the bistable unit associated with that stage, an input from the gate means associated with the preceding stage, and an input from said clock, said compare means being actuated when the associated bistable unit is in its first state and said gate means associated with the preceding stage and said clock have outputs to generate said output pulse.

47. The counter of claim 44 including complement means for generating after actuation the same number of said output pulses as occurred from the time all of said bistable units were in their first state to the time of actuation, said complement means includes means responsive to actuation for disconnecting said clock from said first and second means, means for changing each of said bistable units to its opposite state in order to complement the state of the counter, and means for connecting said clock to said first and second means to cause said bistable units to change states until all bistable units are in said second state.

48. The counter of claim 47 in a control system for a plural axes machine tool, including means responsive to said output pulses for moving said machine tool along a plural axes path, and retract means for retracting the machine tool to the start of said path, including means responsive when said retract is to occur for actuating said complement means, and means to cause movement in an opposite direction along each of the plural axes when said connecting means connects said clock to said first and second means.

49. A control system for a machine tool, comprising:

machine tool control means including logic means for interpreting individual part instructions forming a single program to control the operation of the machine tool, data request means operative duriNg the time said machine tool is being controlled by said single program for generating a data request signal in response to utilization of an individual part instruction by said logic means, sense means operative during the time said machine tool is being controlled by said single program for generating a sense signal in response to a condition other than utilization of said individual part instruction by said logic means;

data processing means coupled to said machine tool control means and including part program means for supplying individual part instructions in a predetermined sequence defining said single program, request program means responsive to said request signal for coupling from said part program means to said logic means the next individual part instruction in said predetermined sequence, and sense program means responsive to said sense signal for coupling to said logic means an individual part instruction different than said next individual part instruction in said predetermined sequence.

50. The control system of claim 49 wherein said part program means includes means for identifying each individual part instruction by a unique sequence number, said sense means includes supply means for supplying a desired sequence number and generate means responsive to the supplying of said desired sequence number to generate said sense signal which identifies said desired sequence number, and said sense program means being responsive to said desired sequence number for searching the identifying means and coupling to said logic means the individual part instruction in said part program means which is identified by said desired sequence number.

51. The control system of claim 50 wherein said sense program means includes means for generating an initial individual part instruction to control movement of the machine tool to the location where the desired individual part instruction is to start controlling the machine tool and means for initially coupling said initial individual part instruction and thereafter coupling said desired individual part instruction to said logic means.

52. The control system of claim 51 wherein said sense program means includes means to compare said location with prerecorded position limits for said machine tool to generate an error signal when the position limits are exceeded.

53. The control system of claim 49 wherein said sense means includes register means for indicating the present position of said machine tool, said sense signal comprises a sense word indicating said present position in said register means, and said sense program means being responsive to different indicated positions in said sense word to couple different individual part instructions to said logic means.

54. The control system of claim 53 wherein said register means includes retract stop means to indicate that the logic means is stopped at the beginning of an individual part instruction.

55. The control system of claim 53 wherein said register means includes program stop means to indicate that the logic means is stopped at the end of an individual part instruction.

56. A control system for machine apparatus, comprising:

machine control means including logic means having storage means for storing individual part instructions forming a single program and interpreting means responsive to stored instructions for controlling the operation of said machine apparatus, and command means coupled to said logic means for decoding a command instruction to alter the operation produced by said logic means;

data processing means coupled to said machine control means and including program means for transmitting to said logic means a specific individual part instruction in said single program which identifies a specific operation to be produced by said machine apparatus, means operative during the time said machine apparatus is being controlled by said single program and responsive to a condition for determining that an operation different than said spEcific operation should be produced by said machine apparatus, and modifying means actuated by said determining means and operative during the time said machine apparatus is being controlled by said single program for generating said command instruction to effectively alter said single program.

57. The control system of claim 56 wherein said determining means is effective after said specific individual part instruction has been transmitted to said logic means to actuate said modifying means, whereby said command means alters the operation produced by said logic means after storage of said specific individual part instruction.

58. The control system of claim 57 wherein said determining means actuates said modifying means to generate a clear command instruction when an individual part instruction different than said specific individual part instruction should control the operation of said machine apparatus, and said command means decodes said clear command instruction to erase said specific individual part instruction stored in said storage means.

59. The control system of claim 58 wherein said determining means includes search means effective after generation of said clear command instruction for transmitting to said storage means said different individual part instruction.

60. The control system of claim 58 wherein said storage means includes active storage means for storing the individual part instruction presently controlling the operation of the machine apparatus and buffer storage means for storing the individual part instruction next transferred to the active storage means, said modifying means generates a clear active command instruction and a clear buffer command instruction, and said command means decodes said clear active and clear buffer command instructions to clear the active storage means and the buffer storage means, respectively.

61. The control system of claim 56 wherein said machine control means includes data request means for generating a data request signal in response to utilization of an individual part instruction by said logic means and sense means for generating a sense signal in response to a condition other than utilization of said individual part instruction by said logic means, and said determining means being responsive to said sense signal for actuating said modifying means to cause generation of said command instruction.

62. The control system of claim 56 wherein said interpreting means comprises interpolator means for generating machine control pulses controlled by the storage means, and said command means decodes a stop command instruction to terminate the operation of said interpolator means.

63. An on-line control system for a machine tool, comprising:

machine tool control means for interpreting blocks of machine part instructions to control the operation of the machine tool;

data link means for transmitting instructions;

data processing means coupled by said data link means to said machine tool control means and including part program storage means for storing a plurality of individually identifiable part programs each comprising a sequence of source language statements in which at least some of said statements represent more than one block of machine part instructions, language translator means having a translator input, a translator output, and translation means for converting source language statements supplied to said translator input into blocks of machine part instructions supplied to said translator output;

data entry means adjacent said machine tool and coupled to said data processing means by said data link means for generating instructions identifying that one of said stored part programs is to control said machine tool;

said data processing means further includes monitor means responsive to said data entry means for coupling the source language statements forming said one part program to said translator input and for coupling the translator output to sAid data link means.

64. The control system of claim 63 wherein said data processing means includes file means for storing all blocks of machine part instructions representing the total sequence of source language statements comprising a part program, said monitor means includes output means coupling said file means between said translator output and said data link means, run means for coupling the total sequence of source language statements which forms said one part program to said translator input, and save means for causing the total sequence of source language statements coupled to said translator input to be retained as source language statements.

65. The control system of claim 64 wherein said output means includes buffer storage means for storing a plurality of blocks of machine part instructions sufficient to allow a plurality of individual transmissions to said machine tool control means, and buffer fill means for automatically refilling said buffer storage means with blocks of machine part instructions from said file means in response to a predetermined depletion condition in said buffer storage means.

66. The control system of claim 63 wherein said data processing means includes file means for storing blocks of machine part instructions, said monitor means includes output means coupling said file means between said translator output and said data link means, actuable conversational means to couple to said translator input sequences of source language statements less than the total sequence of source language statements which form said one part program, and said data entry means includes proceed means for repeatedly actuating said conversation means to thereby translate the total sequence of source language statements.

67. The control system of claim 66 including communications terminal means manually actuable to generate source language statements, and alternate input means for coupling said communications terminal means to said translator input in order to insert new machine part instructions in said one part program controlling the operation of said machine tool.

68. The control system of claim 63 wherein said data processing means includes save means for storing source language statements, and reprogramming means operative after said monitor means has coupled source language statements to said translator input for adding or deleting said last named source language statements to said save means.

69. A control system for a plurality of machine tools, comprising:

a plurality of machine tool control means each associated with one of said plurality of machine tools, each machine tool control means including logic means for interpreting instructions to control the operation of the associated machine tool and data request means for generating a request signal in response to utilization of an instruction by said logic means;

equipment other than machine tools for performing support operations for the control system;

equipment control means including request means for generating a request signal when a support operation is to be performed;

data processing means coupled to said machine tool control means and said equipment control means and including program means for supplying instructions for said machine tool control means and support operations for said equipment control means, interrupt storage means for storing interrupts, interrupt posting means for posting first type interrupts in said interrupt storage means in response to receipt of request signals from said machine tool control means and for posting second type interrupts in said interrupt storage means in response to receipt of request signals from said equipment control means, supervisor means for individually processing posted interrupts stored in said interrupt storage means in order to cause said program means to service the requests which caused the posted interrupts, and routine means responsive to the posting of a first type interrupt iN said interrupt storage means for causing said supervisor means to terminate the processing of a second type interrupt and immediately process the first type interrupt.

70. The control system of claim 69 wherein said routine means includes queue means for reposting in the interrupt storage means the terminated second type interrupt and save means for causing the supervisor means to continue after processing of the first type interrupt with processing of the terminated second type interrupt from the point of termination.

71. The control system of claim 70 wherein said supervisor means includes priority means for processing pending first type interrupts stored in said interrupt storage means prior to pending second type interrupts including said terminated second type interrupt.

72. An on-line control system for a machine tool, comprising:

machine tool control means for interpreting blocks of machine part instructions to control the operation of the machine tool;

data link means for transmitting instructions;

data processing means coupled by said data link means with said machine tool control means and including program storage means for storing a series of blocks of machine part instructions which are to control a programmed operation of the machine tool, including means establishing unique sequence representations for identifying at least some of said series of blocks, means for coupling each block of machine part instructions from said program storage means to the data link means; and

reprogramming means coupled by said data link means with said data processing means and manually actuable while the machine tool is being controlled by said series of blocks of machine part instructions for selecting at least one block of machine part instructions identified by one of said unique sequence representations and modifying at least said selected one block to replace the stored programmed operation with an operation produced by the modified block when coupled to said machine tool control means.

73. The control system of claim 72 wherein said reprogramming means includes add means for creating a block of machine part instructions which is to control the operation of the machine tool after occurrence of one of said series of blocks, and said coupling means is responsive to said add means to insert the created block of machine part instructions after said one block of machine part instructions.

74. The control system of claim 73 wherein said reprogramming means includes data display means for visually displaying data and unique sequence representations, said data processing means includes message means for generating both instructions data concerning the operation of said add means and unique sequence representations concerning identification of blocks being coupled from said data processing means, and conversational means for coupling said message means via said data link means with said data display means.

75. A control system for a machine tool, comprising:

machine tool control means for interpreting blocks of machine part instructions to control the operation of the machine tool;

communications means including data display means for visually displaying data to an operator and data entry means for allowing the operator to manually generate messages;

data processing means coupled with said machine tool control means and said communications means and including program means for storing a sequence of blocks of machine part instructions defining a program, processor means for processing the stored blocks to control transmission of blocks to the machine tool control means and to control storage of blocks in the program means to allow future use of the program, instruction routine means effective during processing of the program for generating instructions data coupled to said data display means to visually display an instruction requiring the operator to manually generate a response message before aLlowing further processing by said processor means, and analysis routine means responsive to the response message for controlling the processor means and thereafter causing continuation of the program.

76. The control system of claim 75 wherein said program means includes temporary storage means for temporarily storing blocks of machine part instructions and permanent storage means for permanently storing blocks of machine part instructions, said processor means placing blocks of transmitted machine part instructions in said temporary storage means during performance of a program, and said analysis routine means being responsive to a save response message for transferring the contents of said temporary storage means to said permanent storage means.

77. The control system of claim 75 wherein said analysis routine means is responsive to the response message for controlling whether the next block transmitted to the machine tool control means is to be supplied by the program means or the data entry means.

78. The control system of claim 75 wherein said data entry means manually generates a proceed response message including a sequence number defining a specified block of machine part instructions stored in said program means, and said analysis routine means is responsive to the proceed response message to cause said processor means to uninterruptedly transmit to said machine tool control means the sequence of blocks prior to said sequence number.

79. The control system of claim 75 wherein said program means includes existing program storage means for storing said sequence of blocks defining said program and new program storage means for storing blocks from said processor means, and said analysis routine means being responsive to a copy response message for causing said processor means to transfer blocks stored in said existing program storage means to said new program storage means.

80. A control system for a multi-axis machine tool, comprising:

storage means for storing instructions defining operations for the machine tool including movements along the axes of the machine tool and functions other than axes movement, including record storage means for storing a series of instructions defining a reusable stored program capable of controlling the machine tool, temporary storage means for storing a series of instructions defining a corrected program formed by at least some instructions from said stored program and new instructions;

control means for coupling instructions from said record storage means to said machine tool to control movements along the axes of the machine tool and functions other than axes movement, including stop means operative to cause the machine tool to be stopped at least at intermediate points in said stored program;

console means located adjacent the machine tool to allow an operator to observe the machine tool while being controlled by said stored program in order to determine corrections which might be necessary, including add means manually actuable by the operator for creating said new instructions defining operations to be performed at said intermediate points;

correction reprogramming means for selectively transmitting instructions to said temporary storage means from said record storage means and said add means in order to create said corrected program; and

means for transferring the instructions in said temporary storage means to said record storage means to create a corrected stored program.

81. The control system of claim 80 wherein said console means includes delete means manually actuable by the operator for deleting selected instructions from said stored program, and said reprogramming means is responsive to said delete means to block transmission of said selected instructions from said record storage means to said temporary storage means.

82. The control system of claim 80 wherein said console means includes proceed means manually actuable by the operator for indicating that the machine tool should be controlled uninterruptedly by instructions in the stored program through a selected point in the stored program, and said reprogramming means is responsive to said proceed means for transmitting uninterrupted to said temporary storage means the instructions from said record storage means through said selected point.

83. The control system of claim 82 wherein said control means is responsive to said proceed means for uninterruptedly coupling instructions to said machine tool from said record storage means to control movements and functions at the same time the instructions are being stored in said temporary storage means.

84. The control system of claim 80 wherein the series of instructions are grouped in blocks, said stop means being operative to cause block-by-block operation of the machine tool wherein the machine tool stops after transmission of a block from said record storage means to said machine tool, and said console means includes start means manually actuable by the operator for causing the next block from said record storage means to be transmitted by said control means to said machine tool.

85. The control system of claim 80 including data display means located adjacent the machine tool and the console means for visually displaying data, message means for generating data concerning instructions from said record storage means and said add means, and conversational means for coupling said message means to said data display means to display data for observation by the operator before said reprogramming means is enabled by said conversational means to selectively transmit the instructions corresponding to the displayed data to said temporary storage means.

86. The control system of claim 85 wherein said console means includes approval means manually actuable by the operator after observing and approving of the data displayed on said data display means for actuating said conversational means which enables said reprogramming means to cause the instruction corresponding to the displayed data to be transmitted to said temporary storage means.

87. The control system of claim 86 wherein said storage means includes work area means for temporarily storing instructions prior to storage in said temporary storage means, said console means includes delete means manually actuable by the operator after observing and disapproving of the data displayed on said data display means for causing said conversational means to effectively block the reprogramming means from transmitting to said temporary storage means the instruction in said work area means corresponding to the displayed data, and said reprogramming means being responsive to actuation of said approval means for transmitting the instruction from said work area means to said temporary storage means.

88. The control system of claim 85 wherein said message means includes means for determining the absolute position of the machine tool along each of said axes after execution of the instruction from said record storage means or said add means, and said conversational means transmits the determined absolute position to said data display means.

89. The control system of claim 80 including language translator means for converting source language instructions into blocks of machine part instructions, said record storage means stores a series of source language instructions defining said stored program, said control means couples said language translator means between said record storage means and said machine tool, said add means being manually actuable by the operator for creating said new instructions in the form of source language instructions, conversational means for coupling said add means to said language translator means, and said reprogramming means transmits only source language instructions or blocks of machine part instructions to said temporary storage means to create said corrected program.

90. A control system for a multi-axis machine tool, comprising:

program storage means for storing a series of instructions identified by unique sequence numbers, at least some of said instructions including machine data for defining movements along the axes of the machine tool and miscellaneous data for defining functions other than axes movement;

control means for coupling each instruction from said program means to said machine tool to control the operation of the machine tool;

sequence number display means for visually displaying the sequence number of the instructions coupled to said control means;

message display means for visually displaying messages;

desired sequence number means manually actuable by an operator for selecting a desired sequence number other than the next sequence number which would otherwise be displayed on said sequence number display means;

switch means manually actuable by an operator for initiating a search operation;

sequence search means responsive to actuation of said switch means for searching said program means to locate the instruction identified by the selected desired sequence number;

accumulating search means for accumulating data from the stored instructions located between the present instruction coupled to the control means and the located instruction in order to allow the machine tool to continue to operate from the located instruction;

message generating means coupled to said message display means for generating a message concerning the operation of said search means; and

coupling means for coupling the located instruction from said program means to said control means in order to continue the program from the located instruction.

91. The control system of claim 90 including limit means for establishing predetermined limits which the accumulated data should not exceed, and compare means for comparing the accumulated data with the predetermined limits to determine when the predetermined limits are exceeded.

92. The control system of claim 91 wherein said message generating means is responsive to said compare means to generate an error message when the predetermined limits are exceeded, said coupling means being inoperative in response to generation of the error message.

93. The control system of claim 90 including determining means responsive to said sequence search means for determining that the instruction identified by the selected desired sequence number was not located, said message generating means being responsive to said determining means to generate an error message, said coupling means being inoperative in response to generation of the error message.

94. The control system of claim 90 including completion means for determining that the sequence search means located the instruction identified by the selected desired sequence number and that the accumulating search means completed accumulating data, said message generating means being responsive to said completion means for generating an operator message which requires an operator response before said coupling means is enabled.

95. The control system of claim 94 wherein said message generating means is responsive to said completion means to generate a start message, and start means manually actuable by the operator after observing the start message on said message display means for enabling said coupling means in order to continue the program from the located instruction.