Industrial control processor system
First Claim
1. An industrial control processor which comprises:
- a read/write memory for storing multi-bit words which include an I/O image table and program instructions;
a multi-lead data processor bus coupled to said read/write memory to convey words which are written into or read out of said read/write memory;
an instruction register connected to said processor data bus and operable to receive and store program instructions read out of said read/write memory;
an arithmetic and logic unit having a first set of inputs connected to the leads in said data processor bus;
an L register having a set of inputs connected to the leads in said data processor bus and a corresponding set of output terminals connected to a second set of input terminals on said arithmetic and logic unit;
a bit pointer circuit having a set of inputs coupled to the instruction register to receive a bit pointer code contained in selected program instructions and having a set of output terminals connected to the respective leads in said processor data bus, said bit pointer circuit being responsive to received bit pointer codes to generate a mask on said processor data bus which is coupled to and stored in said L register;
wherein said mask is logically combined in said arithmetic and logic unit with a word read out of the I/O image table in said read/write memory to perform a logic operation on a selected single bit in said word.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An industrial control processor is employed in a numerical control system to operate the servo mechanisms on a machine tool in response to a part program stored on a tape. The industrial control processor includes unique hardware and software features which also allow it to operate as a programmable controller to control the discrete digital devices associated with the machine tool. The industrial control processor is programmed with a conventional computer type instruction set to perform numerical control functions and is programmed with a programmable controller type instruction set to perform the machine dependent logic functions. The resulting system maintains the state-of-the-art capabilities of a computer numerical control (CNC) and adds to it the flexibility and programming ease of a programmable controller.
79 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An industrial control processor which comprises:
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a read/write memory for storing multi-bit words which include an I/O image table and program instructions; a multi-lead data processor bus coupled to said read/write memory to convey words which are written into or read out of said read/write memory; an instruction register connected to said processor data bus and operable to receive and store program instructions read out of said read/write memory; an arithmetic and logic unit having a first set of inputs connected to the leads in said data processor bus; an L register having a set of inputs connected to the leads in said data processor bus and a corresponding set of output terminals connected to a second set of input terminals on said arithmetic and logic unit; a bit pointer circuit having a set of inputs coupled to the instruction register to receive a bit pointer code contained in selected program instructions and having a set of output terminals connected to the respective leads in said processor data bus, said bit pointer circuit being responsive to received bit pointer codes to generate a mask on said processor data bus which is coupled to and stored in said L register; wherein said mask is logically combined in said arithmetic and logic unit with a word read out of the I/O image table in said read/write memory to perform a logic operation on a selected single bit in said word. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A numerical control system which comprises:
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I/o interface rack means including a slot having a plurality of output circuits for driving discrete digital operating devices, a slot having a plurality of input circuits for receiving status signals from a plurality of discrete digital sensing devices, a slot having a command register for storing a position command word to be applied to a servo mechanism, and a slot having an accumulator register for storing a feedback word received from said servo mechanism; a tape reader for reading a part program and generating blocks of part program data; an industrial control processor connected to said I/O interface rack means and said tape reader, said industrial control processor including; a memory which stores a. background programs, each comprised of a plurality of program instructions; b. a machine dependent software program comprised of a plurality of controller instructions; c. an I/O image table comprised of a plurality of multi-bit memory words, each word associated with one of the slots in said I/O interface rack means; d. a system flag table comprised of a plurality of memory locations; e. a tape reader driver program comprised of a plurality of program instructions; and f. a timed interrupt program comprised of a plurality of program instructions; means responsive to a signal received from said tape reader and program instructions in said tape reader driver program for coupling a block of part program data generated by said tape reader to said memory; means responsive to part program data stored in said memory and program instructions in one of said background programs for setting a selected memory location in said system flag table to a selected logic state; means for periodically executing said timed interrupt program including; a. means responsive to program illustrations in said timed interrupt program for coupling data between said respective I/O image table memory words and their associated slots to update the status of the I/O image table; b. means responsive to program instructions in said timed interrupt program, responsive to part program data stored in said memory and responsive to the feedback word stored in the I/O image table for calculating a position command word and storing it in the I/O image table memory word which is associated with the I/O interface rack slot containing the command register; and c. means for executing control instructions in said machine dependent software program to examine the status of selected bits in said I/O image table, to examine the state of selected memory locations in said system flag table, and to set the status of selected bits in said I/O image table. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An industrial control processor controlling in response to blocks of part program data coupled to it the motion of a cutting tool on a machine tool and for controlling the discrete digital devices associated with the machine tool, the industrial control processor comprising:
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means for storing a received block of part program data; means for storing a position command word for each axis of motion on said controlled machine tool; I/o image table storage means including a storage location for each discrete digital sensing device associated with the controlled machine tool and for each discrete digital operating device associated therewith; system flag table storage means including a plurality of storage locations; means for decoding a block of part program data and in response thereto setting a selected storage location in said system flag table storage means to a logic state which indicates that a specific auxiliary function is to be performed by said discrete digital devices; means coupled to said data block storage means for calculating a position command word for each axis of motion and coupling each to its respective position command word storage means; means for coupling said calculated position command words to said controlled machine tool to operate the axis servo mechanisms thereon; means for storing a plurality of controller instructions which comprise a machine dependent software routine; and timed interrupt means for periodically interrupting all other functions of the industrial control processor to execute the machine dependent software and to couple data between said discrete digital devices and said I/O image table storage means, said timed interrupt means including; a. means responsive to selected controller instructions for examining the logic state of selected sensing device storage locations in said I/O image table and responsive to other selected controller instructions for examining the logic state of storage locations in said system flag table; and b. means responsive to selected controller instructions for setting the logic state of selected operating device storage locations in said I/O image table. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. An industrial control processor comprising:
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a read/write memory comprised of a plurality of addressable multi-bit words, said read/write memory storing at a selected set of memory addresses an I/O image table and storing a program comprised of a plurality of controller instructions which each contain a selected one of a set of operation codes; a processor data bus coupled to said read/write memory for reading words out of and writing words into said read/write memory; a macro-instruction register coupled to said processor data bus for receiving and storing controller instructions read out of said read/write memory; a read-only memory for storing a set of addressable micro-routines, each of which corresponds to one of said operation codes in said set and each of which includes a unique set of micro-instructions; means coupled to said macro-instruction register and said read-only memory for receiving the operation code in a controller instruction stored in said macro-instruction register and in response thereto addressing its corresponding micro-routine in said read-only memory; and means for sequentially executing the micro-instructions in an addressed micro-routine including; a. means responsive to a selected micro-instruction and responsive to a memory address code in a controller instruction stored in said macro-instruction register to read out a selected memory word in said I/O image table; b. a bit pointer which is enabled by a selected micro-instruction and is responsive to a bit pointer code in a controller instruction stored in said macro-instruction register to select a bit in a memory word read from said I/O image table; and c. means responsive to a selected micro-instruction for performing a logical operation with a selected bit from said I/O image table. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A numerical control system comprising:
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a cabinet which forms an enclosed space and which includes a front door; a cathode ray tube display mounted to said cabinet door for displaying an image on a screen to an operator disposed in front of the cabinet; a keyboard mounted to said cabinet door for operation by said operator, said keyboard including a set of keys marked with symbols which represent elements of a ladder diagram; a tape reader mounted to said cabinet door for operation by said operator, said tape reader being operable to read blocks of part program data from a tape which directs the operation of a machine to be controlled by the numerical control system; an I/O interface rack mounted to the cabinet and disposed within its enclosed space, said I/O interface rack including;
a plurality of output circuits each connected to drive an associated operating device on the machine to be controlled; and
a plurality of input circuits each connected to receive a status signal from an associated sensing device on the machine to be controlled; andan industrial control processor mounted to said cabinet within its enclosed space and connected by cables to said cathode ray tube display, said keyboard, said tape reader and said I/O interface rack, said industrial control processor including; means for generating signals to said output circuits in said I/O interface rack, said generating means being responsive to status signals received from said input circuits, and responsive to part program data received from said tape reader, said generating means including means for storing a machine dependent software program comprised of a plurality of controller instructions; means responsive to the manual operation of one of said set of keys on said keyboard for loading into said machine dependent software program storage means a digital code which corresponds to the symbol on said key; and means responsive to the manual operation of one of said set of keys on said keyboard for coupling a digital character to said cathode ray tube display which generates a ladder diagram symbol on the screen that corresponds to the symbol on said one key. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. An industrial control processor for controlling in response to blocks of part program data coupled to it the motion of a cutting tool on a machine tool and for controlling the discrete digital devices associated with the machine tool, the industrial control processor comprising:
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means for storing a received block of part program data; means for storing a position command word for each axis of motion on said controlled machine tool; I/o image table storage means including a storage location for each discrete digital sensing device associated with the controlled machine tool and for each discrete digital operating device associated therewith; system flag table storage means including a plurality of storage locations; means for decoding a block of part program data and in response thereto setting a selected storage location in said system flag table storage means to a logic state which indicates that a specific auxiliary function is to be performed by said discrete digital devices; means coupled to said data block storage means for calculating a position command word for each axis of motion and coupling each to its respective position command word storage means; means for coupling said calculated position command words to said controlled machine tool to operate the axis servo mechanisms thereon; means for storing a plurality of controller instructions which comprise a machine dependent software routine; means for periodically executing said machine dependent software routine to set the logic state of selected operating device storage locations in said I/O image table in response to the logic state of selected sensing device storage locations in said I/O image table and selected storage locations in said system flag table; and means for coupling data between said I/O image table and the discrete digital devices associated with the controlled machine. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification