Method and system for controlling a machine tool with direct transfer of machining data

A method of operating a machine tool for machining a supply of stock material according to a specified design, the method comprising extracting tool path data from a design within a computer-aided-design/computer-aided manufacture software package through an Application Program Interface of said computer-aided-design/computer-aided-manufacturing software package, wherein the design application operates on a first processor and generates the tool path data without machine control language conversion, wherein the tool path data is extracted by a second processor that executes motion control software, the second processor also executing servo-control software, wherein the tool path data comprises objects which are adaptable to allow the control system to interface with a different machine, wherein the first processor and the second processor are part of the same computer.

A method of interfacing a control system with a machine comprising:

• executing a design application that generates motion path data for said machine, the motion path data being generated without machine control language conversion;
• executing motion control software that receives said motion path data in a same form as output by said design application;
• and controlling the servo-driven machine with said motion control software in accordance with said motion path data from said design application, further comprising executing said design application and said motion control software on different processors that are part of the same computer, wherein a second processor executes servo-control software.

A system for interfacing a control system with a machine comprising:

• means for generating motion path data for the machine, the motion path data being generated without machine control language conversion;
• means for executing motion control software that receives said motion path data in a same form as output by said means for generating said motion path data;
• and means for controlling the machine in accordance with said motion path data, wherein the means for generating motion and the means for executing motion control software are part of the same computer, further comprising means for executing servo control software.

A system for interfacing a control system with a machine comprising:

• a first processor executing a design application that generates motion path data without machine control language conversion;
• a second processor, that interfaces with said first processor, said second processor executing motion control software that receives said motion path data from said design application on said first processor passed through an Application Program Interface of said motion control software, wherein the second processor also executes servo control software;
• and wherein said motion control software controls the machine in accordance with said motion path data, wherein the first processor and the second processor are part of the same computer.

A system for interfacing a control system with a machine comprising:

• a first processor executing a design application that produces a motion object containing motion path data that has been generated without machine control language conversion, said motion path data defining motion paths along which a tool head of the machine is to be moved;
• a second processor, that interfaces with said first processor, said second processor executing motion control software that receives said motion object from said design application on said first processor, the second processor also executing servo-control software;
• and wherein said motion control software controls the machine in accordance with said motion path data, wherein the first processor and the second processor are part of the same computer.