Data capture for electronically delivered automation services

A method for capturing data from a CNC machine tool, comprising the steps of:

• a. receiving program code over a network;
• b. providing access to program code by numerical control kernel (NCK);
• and
• c. runrnng accessed program code to capture data from NCK;
• wherein the data are collected during run-time of a control function;
• and
• d. monitoring to ensure that collection of the data does not interfere with the run-time control function whereby access to program code by the NCK is provided by compiling the program code to the NCK library and linking the compiled program code to the NCK base code.

A system for capturing real-time data from an industrial controller haviyng associated with it identifying information, the system comprising:

• a base subsystem in communication over a network with a host system and in communication with a human-machine interface (HMI) subsystem, a compile cycle, a data storage device for storing the industrial controller identifying information, and at least one control task, the base subsystem being adapted to receive programming code from the host via download over the network and, per instructions in the downloaded code, to detect the occurrence of an event, and, upon such detection, to write real-time data to a respective location in the storage device,
• wherein the real-time data are collected during a run-time of a control function;
• and
• wherein monitoring is performed to ensure that collection of the real-time data does not interfere with run-time control function;
• and
• wherein the programming code is compiled to an industrial controller library and the compiled program code is linked to base code of the industrial controller.

A method for remotely configuring a numerical control kernel (NCK) of a computerized numerical controller (CNC) for capturing real-time data from the numerical control kernel (NCK), the CNC in communication over a network with a host system, the CNC further having associated with it identifying information and comprising a human-machine interface (HMI) for maintaining communication with the host and communicating with the NCK via an interface, the host being in communication with a data storage device for storing CNC identifying information and in which is also stored data capture software for use with an identified CNC, the method comprising the steps of:

• retrieving CNC identifying information over the network from the CNC;
• retrieving from the data storage device software for configuring a data capture trace for the CNC, the retrieval based on identifying information for the CNC;
• and downloading software over the network from the host to the HMI, the downloaded software adapted for configuring a data capture trace without modifying the NCK,
• wherein said data capture trace captures data during run-time of a control function and wherein monitoring is performed to ensure that collection of the data does not interfere with run-time control function;
• and
• wherein the software is compiled to the CNC library and the compiled program code is linked to base code of the CNC.