Apparatus for controlling a machine tool

A machine tool for machining workpieces by removing material, comprising:

• at least one display unit and at least one input unit which is separate from said display unit, wherein masks are displayable on the display unit, said masks for displaying and/or for inputting, via the input unit, machine and/or control parameters,
• wherein a start matrix having a grid of fields is to be displayed on the display unit, said fields being stored in a geometrically addressable manner,
• wherein the input unit is to be used to select each field via its geometrical position in the grid at which it is displayed on the display unit, and
• wherein activating a field immediately triggers a function assigned to said field or immediately displays a mask associated to said field on the display unit.

A machine tool for machining workpieces by removing material, comprising:

• at least one display unit and at least one input unit which is separate from said display unit, wherein masks are displayable on the display unit, said masks for displaying and/or inputting, via the input unit, machine and/or control parameters,
• wherein a start matrix having a grid of fields is to be displayed on the display unit, said fields being stored in a geometrically addressable manner,
• wherein the input unit is to be used to select each field via its geometrical position in the grid at which it is displayed on the display unit,
• wherein activating a field immediately triggers a function assigned to said field or immediately displays a mask associated to said field on the display unit,
• wherein the input unit comprises at least two keypads, a first keypad for selecting a column and a second keypad for selecting a row,
• wherein the first keypad comprises a linear arrangement of keys which are preferably arranged parallel to the displayed rows, the number of keys in the first keypad corresponding at least to the number of columns which are displayed on the display unit,
• wherein the second keypad comprises a linear arrangement of keys which are preferably arranged parallel to the displayed columns, the number of keys in the second keypad corresponding at least to the number of rows which can be displayed on the display unit, and
• wherein the display unit comprises a screen for displaying the start matrix, and the two keypads are arranged transversely with respect to one another in a manner adjoining the screen in such a way that the keys are geometrically assigned to the fields displayed in the start matrix.