Numerical Controller Task Control for Safe Function Addition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional numerical controllers lack the ability to safely add original functions such as state monitoring and high-speed axis control due to limitations in task registration timing, which can lead to system errors, reduced reliability, and operational instability.
Innovation Solution
A numerical controller with a memory management unit, execution time calculation unit, execution condition setting unit, task monitoring unit, and task control unit that allows safe task control by analyzing programs, calculating execution times, setting conditions, monitoring arithmetic units, and registering tasks based on available resources and idle times, ensuring reliable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an interface for arbitrarily controlling tasks is added to a conventional numerical controller, then the adaptability and ease of operation are improved, but the reliability and operational stability deteriorate due to system errors, axis control delays, and memory exhaustion
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the program to be executed by the task, calculating the required execution time and memory capacity before the task is actually registered or started. This allows the system to pre-determine whether the task can be safely added without compromising reliability, by checking if sufficient resources are available and if the execution time meets safety requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback mechanisms that monitor task execution conditions, memory usage, and arithmetic unit states. This feedback allows the system to dynamically adjust task registration and execution, preventing memory exhaustion and ensuring that axis control processing delays are avoided by continuously monitoring system state and comparing it against safety thresholds.
2Ease of operation
If tasks are registered or started at arbitrary timings, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to memory exhaustion and communication speed reduction
Solution Approach 1:
Before allowing task registration or startup at arbitrary timings, the system performs preliminary calculations to determine the execution time and memory capacity requirements. This preliminary analysis ensures that even though tasks can be registered flexibly at user-desired timings, the system maintains reliability by verifying that sufficient memory is available and that the task execution will not cause communication speed reduction or memory exhaustion.
3Reliability
If conventional numerical controllers maintain fixed task switching timing, then the reliability is preserved, but the adaptability to add original functions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from fixed task switching timing to a dynamic approach where task registration and startup timings can be adjusted at user desire. This is achieved by dynamically calculating execution times and monitoring system state, allowing the system to adapt to new functions while maintaining reliability through continuous monitoring and conditional task management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key parameters such as task execution time, memory allocation, and arithmetic unit assignment dynamically based on system state and task requirements. By calculating and adjusting these parameters before task execution, the system enables flexible addition of original functions while maintaining the reliability characteristics of conventional controllers through controlled parameter modification.
Data Source
AI summary
A numerical controller which can provide an interface that performs a safe task control for addition of an original function includes a memory management unit that develops, on a memory, a program executed by a task, an execution time calculation unit that calculates an execution time of the task, an execution condition setting unit that sets an execution condition of the task based on the results of execution of the memory management unit and the execution time calculation unit, a task monitoring unit that monitors the state of an arithmetic unit and determine the arithmetic unit to which the task is assigned, and a task control unit that registers and starts the task in the assigned arithmetic unit, based on the execution condition.