NC Look-Ahead Control for Conditional Motion Branching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Real-time controllers in numerically controlled production systems face delays due to forced synchronization at conditional program branchings, where only one future action is calculated after a condition is determined, leading to prolonged program execution times, especially with multiple branchings.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a look-ahead module that calculates and stores alternative movement profiles for all possible control program sections before a conditional program branching, allowing for immediate activation of the appropriate profile upon condition occurrence, eliminating the need for forced synchronization and reducing execution delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If forced synchronization is performed at conditional program branchings to determine which future action to calculate, then the control system can react to current states, but program execution time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating multiple alternative movement profiles in advance before the conditional branching point is reached. The look-ahead module calculates movement profiles for all possible alternative control program sections ahead of time, so that when a condition is determined, the corresponding pre-calculated profile can be immediately activated without forcing synchronization and recalculation, thus reducing program execution time while maintaining reliable reaction to current states
2Productivity
If multiple alternative movement profiles are pre-calculated and stored, then program execution continues without delays, but memory requirements and calculation load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the control program into successive alternative control program sections, where each section has its own pre-calculated movement profile. This segmentation allows the system to manage multiple profiles in an organized manner, storing only the profiles corresponding to specific alternative sections rather than all possible program paths, thereby reducing memory requirements and processing complexity while maintaining high execution speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by calculating and storing movement profiles only for the alternative control program sections that are realistically possible based on the program structure, rather than calculating profiles for all theoretically possible program paths. This selective approach reduces the calculation load and memory requirements while still providing sufficient profiles to eliminate execution delays in practice
Data Source
AI summary
A numerically controlled production system is connected to a numerical controller, which includes a control program with successive program sets, and a look-ahead module which determines therefrom for successive clock-cycle points a movement profile with guidance variables for a movement axis prior to a movement. Subject to a condition, the control program includes program branching with multiple alternative control program sections, and determines which of the alternative control program sections is to be additionally executed subject to the condition. The look-ahead module calculates and stores an alternative movement profile for each alternative control program section prior to an additional movement, and holds the alternative movement profile available for the conditional program branching in order to carry out the additional movement.