Interactive machining system

A programmable microcomputer control apparatus for controlling the relative motion between a tool and a workpiece comprising:

• indicator means for providing at an output digital signals indicative of the relative position between the tool and the workpiece;
• an alterable memory operable to retain a control program and control parameters;
• a processor unit coupled to the output of the indicator means and to the memory and operable to produce control signals dependent upon said indicator means output and said control parameters according to said control program, said control signals including programmed rate signals for controlling the rate of relative motion between the tool and the workpiece;
• control means for directing said control signals from the processor unit to appropriate motion-providing means;
• interface means for transferring a control program and control parameters from an external medium into said alterable memory and for recording the control parameter contents of said memory onto an external medium;
• data entry means for loading control parameters into said memory through externally accessible data inputs independently of said interface means;
• and
• feed rate adjust means externally and manually settable independent of said control parameter for altering said rate signals to vary the rate of relative motion between the tool and the workpiece.

A programmable microcomputer control apparatus for controlling the relative motion between a tool and a workpiece comprising:

• indicator means for providing at an output digital signals indicative of the relative position between the tool and the workpiece;
• an alterable memory operable to retain a control program and control parameters;
• a microprocessor unit coupled to the output of the indicator means and to the memory and operable to produce control signals dependent upon said indicator means output and said control parameters according to said control program;
• control means for directing said control signals from the microprocessor unit to appropriate motion-providing means;
• interface means for transferring a control program and control parameters from an external medium into said alterable memory and for recording the control parameter contents of said memory onto an external medium;
• data means for loading contol parameters into said memory through extenally accessible data inputs independently of said interface means;
• and
• means associated with said control program for enabling the microprocessor unit to produce control signals which produce, through appropriate motion-providing means, repetitive relative motions between the tool and the workpiece at a series of different relative locations and including means for entering feed rate and Z coordinate data for the repetitive motions only once and entering (1) an instruction to repeat and (2) and X and Y coordinate information for the repeating motions in order to undergo the repetitive motions.

A method for automatically and interactively performing machining operations on a workpiece comprising the steps of:

• entering the mode type and dimensional parameters for a machining operation into a microcomputer memory as a data block;
• repeating said entering step for data blocks for any further operations and dimensions as necessary to complete processing of the workpiece;
• and
• executing a microcomputer program utilizing said data blocks to direct a machine to perform said operations on a workpiece;
• displaying on screen sequentially for observation and response by the operator, a plurality of inquiries regarding mode and dimensional parameters for individual data blocks;
• and
• as to at least some of the individual data blocks, utilizing operator response to initiate and implement subsequent display of additional inquiries for observation and response by the operator to further define the parameters of the data block as to an operation.