A CNC system provides data through the Machine Interface for external application systems like UIs, SCADA and engineering systems among others. This data has its origin within the CNC system itself or is collected from the drives and peripheral devices. All available data can be divided into the following categories:

  • Parameter: Configuration data of the CNC system, hardware devices and communication mechanisms. Parameters do not have any requirements regarding communication behaviour.
  • State data: States of the hardware devices, CNC kernel and PLC. States may be built within the PLC system itself by summarizing data.
  • Command data: Setpoint values and commands that are communicated from the Machine Interface to the CNC system as well as from the CNC system to the hardware devices. The first do not have requirements regarding the communication behaviour, the latter are communicated cyclically from the CNC system to the appropriate devices.
  • Process data: Actual values of the hardware devices. Values are communicated cyclically from the appropriate devices to the CNC system.
  • Alarms: Events of the CNC System, e.g. by the CNC kernel, the PLC, but as well by the UI, informing about errors or other notifications.
  • Files: Files are transferred from the Machine Interface to the CNC kernel or the PLC, maybe as well to the drives and peripheral devices holding configuration data (e.g. tool parameters) or process information in form of part programs or similar.