Computer control system for generating geometric designs
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for controlling the formation of geometric shapes in materials by moving a tool relative to a workpiece along multiple axes of movement, comprising:
- means defining data representative of geometric shapes to be cut or otherwise formed in materials;
means for converting said data into a description of a path to be followed by the tool and storing said description;
a plurality of motors respectively associated with said multiple axes, each of said motors providing relative movement between the tool and the workpiece along an associated one of said axes;
a plurality of feedback devices respectively associated with said plurality of motors for providing feedback information indicative of at least one of the actual position and velocity of the tool along an associated axis; and
a single active processor for controlling said data defining means and said data converting means, for receiving feedback information from each of said feedback devices, and for controlling the operation of each of said motors to provide coordinated relative movement between the tool and the workpiece along each of said multiple axes in accordance with said stored path description.
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Abstract
A servo control system for a machine tool or the like requires only a single computational resource, such as a microprocessor, to provide coordinated control along multiple axes. No active control mechanism is required for any axis outside of the single resource. A real time multitasking approach enables the single resource to control multiple axes of motion, with the control of each individual axis being carried out by means of simple, yet effective, routines that conserve computing power. The routines also facilitate the generation of geometric designs in other media, such as the display of such shapes on a video screen or via a printer.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A system for controlling the formation of geometric shapes in materials by moving a tool relative to a workpiece along multiple axes of movement, comprising:
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means defining data representative of geometric shapes to be cut or otherwise formed in materials; means for converting said data into a description of a path to be followed by the tool and storing said description; a plurality of motors respectively associated with said multiple axes, each of said motors providing relative movement between the tool and the workpiece along an associated one of said axes; a plurality of feedback devices respectively associated with said plurality of motors for providing feedback information indicative of at least one of the actual position and velocity of the tool along an associated axis; and a single active processor for controlling said data defining means and said data converting means, for receiving feedback information from each of said feedback devices, and for controlling the operation of each of said motors to provide coordinated relative movement between the tool and the workpiece along each of said multiple axes in accordance with said stored path description. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for providing coordinated movement of a device along multiple axes of motion by means of a single active processor, comprising the steps of:
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a) determining desired movement of the device along each of said axes of motion for successive increments of time; b) carrying out one cycle of control in said active processor for one of said increments of time, said cycle including the steps of; i) determining, on the basis of said desired movement, at least one of a desired position and desired velocity of the device along one of said axes; ii) detecting at least one of the actual position and actual velocity of the device along said one axis; iii) calculating at least one of a position error and a velocity error along said one axis for said increment of time; iv) generating a pulse-width modulated control signal to produce movement along said one axis that is effective to reduce said error by; determining a center value indicative of the average width of the pulse-width modulated signal over plural previous cycles of operation; computing a response based on said error and detecting whether said response is less than or greater than a reference value; increasing said center value when said response is greater than said reference value and decreasing said center value when said response is less than said reference value; and summing said center value and said response to determine the width of said pulse-width modulated signal; and v) sequentially repeating steps i, ii and iii for each of the other axes; and c) repeating step b for each of the successive increments of time. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification