Data interface device for use on a numerically controlled machine tool

A data interface device for data transmission between a first numerically controlled machine tool including a first control device for controlling a plurality of actuators of the first machine tool and a first external data processing device, the data interface device comprising:

• a control interface unit for data transmission with the first control device of the first machine tool,
• a data processing device for processing data received at least via the control interface unit,
• a data storage device having a first storage medium for storing data received via the control interface unit or data processed by the data processing device, and a second storage medium for storing data, and
• a communication unit for data transmission with the first external data processing device, wherein
• the configuration data indicate a communication protocol used by the first control device of the first machine tool from a first group of communication protocols and a communication protocol used by the first external data processing device from a second group of communication protocols,
• the control interface unit is adapted to use each of the communication protocols from the first group of communication protocols for data transmission and to select the communication protocol used by the first control device of the first machine tool for data transmission with the first control device of the first machine tool based on the configuration data,
• the communication unit is adapted to use each of the communication protocols from the second group of communication protocols for data transmission and to select the communication protocol used by the first external data processing device for data transmission with the first external data processing device based on the configuration data,
• the communication unit is adapted to transmit data in parallel with a plurality of connected external data processing devices including the first external data processing device;
• and
• the configuration data for each of the connected external data processing devices indicate the communication protocol used by the respective external data processing device from the second group of communication protocols, and
• the communication unit is adapted to select the communication protocol used by one connected external data processing device for data transmission with one of the connected external data processing devices based on the configuration data and to select the communication protocol used by another connected external data processing device for data transmission with the other of the connected external data processing devices based on the configuration data.