A controller to control an apparatus (e.g. a printer) can include multiple secondary sub-controllers and a main sub-controller. Each of the secondary sub-controllers can have an operator process and one or more executable control processes. Each of the control processes can be configured to exchange data with one or more other of the control processes. The main sub-controller can be communicatively coupled to the secondary sub-controllers via a data network. Each of the main and secondary sub-controllers can include at least one processor and an operating system. The respective operator processes can be configured to communicate via the data network, and the control processes of each of the secondary sub-controllers can be configured such that the control processes communicate exclusively with the operator process of their respective secondary sub-controller to communicate via the data network.

A numerical control apparatus for controlling a machine tool, includes: a first control unit for controlling the machine tool for machining; an image display device for displaying at least the status of the machine tool and the first control unit; a second control unit for controlling the image display device; a first light-emitting portion; and a second light-emitting portion, is constructed such that when an anomaly occurs in the second control unit, making the second control unit unable to display the status of the machine tool and the first control unit on the image display device, the first light-emitting portion notifies the status of the machine tool by emission of light and the second light-emitting portion notifies by emission of light that an anomaly has occurred in the second control unit.

An input module for an industrial controller includes configurable execution windows. The execution windows are defined by a first parameter and a second parameter stored within the input module. A third parameter defines a status bit which is compared against the execution window to set a window output signal within the input module. The execution window may define a range between the first and second parameters against which the status bit is compared. Alternately, the first and second parameters may define setpoints against which the status bit is compared. At one of the setpoints, the window output signal is set and at the other of the setpoints, the window output signal is reset.

A flexible monitoring system and corresponding methods of use are provided. The system can include a base containing backplane, and one or more circuits communicatively coupled to the backplane. The circuits can be designed with a common architecture that is programmable to perform different predetermined functions, such as input, output, and processing. By separating functions of the flexible monitoring system into different circuits, new implementations of the flexible monitoring system can be rapidly developed by arranging already created components in different combinations. Multiple bases can also be communicatively coupled in a manner that establishes a common backplane between respective bases. Accordingly, implementations of the flexible monitoring system distribute combinations of circuits across different bases, providing flexible deployment options.

A machine control system comprising one or more modules with non-transitory computer-readable storage medium to store configuration instructions, one or more of the one or more modules operating as a node to control the one or more modules, and the one or more modules orienting into a hierarchy of modules in response to receiving a system objective to produce an output from the system objective by determining a combined operating space of the one or more modules in the hierarchy of modules, selecting an action from the one or more actions in the combined operating space, sending a message to one or more modules to perform the action, and performing the action by activating the one or more components per the configuration instructions.

A system and method for a self-contained modular manufacturing device having self-contained modular tools configured to collectively accomplish a specific task or function in a hierarchical control manner. In an embodiment, the modular device includes a housing that has a mount configured to engage a robotic arm or other form of maneuvering actuator (such a crane or gantry). The housing may provide a base by which additional modules may be mounted and coupled. The modular device also includes an interface configured to communicate with a remote master control system capable of control the robotic arm. The modular device also includes one or more other modules that are configured to accomplish a particular task or function. Such modules are sometimes called end-effectors and work in conjunction with each other to accomplish tasks and functions. In a self-contained modular manufacturing device, individual processors disposed in the housing may be configured to control the functional tools (e.g., each end-effector) independent of the overall manufacturing control system and pass control of the self-contained modular device between local controllers in a hierarchical manner.

A method for sequence control of program modules, includes providing a control means and a description file having a configuration for controlling a program sequence. The method further includes providing a plurality of program modules which can be executed by a real-time operating system, the program modules being created using one or different programming languages. The method furthermore includes initiating selected program modules by executing specifications in the description file using the control means.

A machine tool control system may include a processing module and subsystem circuitry coupled to the processing module by a bus. The processing module may include memory circuitry and a multi-core processor. The multi-core processor may include a first set of processor cores assigned exclusively to perform real-time tasks for controlling motion relative to one or more axes by executing first instructions stored in the memory circuitry, a second set of processor cores assigned exclusively to perform non-real-time tasks by executing second instructions stored in the memory circuitry, and a timer circuit configured to generate a cycle signal at periodic intervals. The subsystem circuitry may be configured to obtain axis feedback data from one or more feedback encoders and axis control data from the first set of processor cores during each of the periodic intervals. The subsystem circuitry further may be configured to provide the obtained axis feedback data to the first set of processor cores and the axis control data to one or more axis drivers in response to the cycle signals generated by the timer circuit.

There are described herein methods and systems for providing an engine computer with a power request having been determined by an aircraft computer. The power request is sent over a communication bus and once it reaches the engine computer, the latency due to the different update rates of the engine computer and the aircraft computer are compensated for.

A numerical controller of the invention includes a multi-core processor having a plurality of central processing unit (CPU) cores. Herein, importance is assigned in advance to each of a plurality of processes related to numerical control, and load distribution of the multi-core processor is performed by allocating the respective processes to the plurality of CPU cores based on the assigned importance.