Numerical control system

A numerical control system comprising:

• a serial data transmitting and receiving section to which external signals are applied;
• an arithmetic section for performing predetermined operations on data received from said serial data transmitting and receiving section;
• a memory section for storing data from said serial data transmitting and receiving section, results of calculations from said arithmetic section, and programs;
• an output section for outputting results of calculations from said arithmetic section and contents of said memory section as instruction signals to a machine tool;
• a control section for controlling said serial data transmitting and receiving section, arithmetic section, memory section and output section;
• and
• a general purpose operating panel comprising a general purpose full keyboard and a general purpose display unit, said operating panel being freely connectible to and disconnectable from said serial data transmitting and receiving section;
• wherein said control section comprises a general purpose code processing unit comprising:
• a general purpose code decision program memory in which is stored a decision program for determining whether data received by said serial data transmitting and receiving section is in a format of a general purpose code;
• a general purpose code data memory in which a general purpose code is stored;
• a data control bus for delivering data from said serial data transmitting and receiving section;
• and
• a central processing unit for determining according to said general purpose decision program said data received by said serial data transmitting and receiving section and delivered thereto through said address data control bus;
• and wherein said general purpose code decision program comprises:
• a step of inputting said data received by said serial data transmitting and receiving section into a first register;
• a step in which one data point is read out of said general purpose code data memory and inputted into a second register;
• a step of determining whether or not contents of said first and second registers coincide with each other;
• and
• a step in which, when said contents of said first and second registers coincide with each other, a code decision completion flag is set.