Diagnosis system of numerical control apparatus

• US 5,274,546 A
• Filed: 08/05/1992
• Issued: 12/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Jiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORDON, PAUL P
• Application Number:
  US07/924,577
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 364/474.11, 364/474.16, 364/474.19, 364/186, 364/551.02, 371/8.1, 371/9.1, 371/16.1, 371/16.4
• US Class Current: 700/81
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4063 Monitoring general control system G05B19/4062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33287 Program panel to program, enter data for diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33288 Switch, select between normal and diagnostic control program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33327 Self diagnostic of control system, servo system

Abstract

Disclosed is a diagnosis system of a numerical control system (CNC) for monitoring an internal state of the CNC, wherein a processor (11) of the CNC acts as a host processor, and a diagnostic processor (1) monitors the processor (11) for the CNC or other processors (18a, 24) in a usual CNC operation mode, and the diagnostic processor (1) executes software for diagnosing the processor (11) for the CNC and the other processors (18a, 24), as the host processor, to detect a cause of malfunction of the CNC, whereby the time required for a normal operation is shortened, when a malfunction occurs, and the operational reliability is thus improved.

Claims

1. A diagnosis system of a numerical control apparatus, connectable to an external processor for instructing operation, having a main processor for acting as a host processor controlling other processors in a usual operation mode, comprising:

a diagnostic processor, connected to said main and other processors, for monitoring said main processor and said other processors during the usual operation mode and for acting as the host processor in a diagnosis mode to detect a cause of a malfunction of said numerical control apparatus;

a communication line, connected to said diagnostic processor, for receiving externally originated diagnostic software in accordance with the cause of the malfunction from the external processor for instructing operation of said numerical control apparatus; and

a diagnostic RAM, connected to said diagnostic processor, for storing the externally originated diagnostic software received via said communication line.

2. A diagnosis system according to claim 1, further comprising a diagnostic ROM, connected to said diagnostic processor, for storing internally stored diagnostic software.

3. A numerical control apparatus connectable to a host computer for instructing operation thereof, comprising:

a plurality of operational processors, including a main processor controlling operation of said numerical control apparatus during a usual operation mode;

a bus connected to said operational processors, including said main processor;

a diagnostic processor, connected to said bus, for monitoring said operational processors, including said main processor, during the usual operation mode and for controlling operation of a said numerical control apparatus in a diagnosis mode to detect a cause of a malfunction of said numerical control apparatus; and

a communication line, connected to said diagnostic processor, for receiving instructions from the host computer, including diagnostic software supplied in dependence upon the cause of the malfunction.