Touch Trigger Probe Interface for Variable-Velocity Machine Tools

The patent replaces the traditional SKIP signal electrical connection with a digital communication system using timestamped data packets over industrial Ethernet or Fieldbus networks. This substitution of mechanical/electrical signal transmission with digital data communication enables accurate timestamping of probe events, eliminating the need for constant velocity assumptions and positional correction calculations, thereby improving measurement accuracy while accepting increased system complexity through digital networking infrastructure.

The patent applies preliminary action by timestamping probe events at the exact moment they occur, rather than relying on constant time delay processing. The timestamp is generated and recorded immediately when the probe triggers, capturing the precise event time before any signal processing delays. This preliminary timestamping action eliminates the need for subsequent positional correction calculations that assume constant velocity, thereby improving measurement accuracy without significantly increasing device complexity.