CNC Controllers Specifications

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Applications



	Your choices are...
	Horizontal Mills		Horizontal mills are milling machines in which the cutting tool travels along a horizontal axis.
	Vertical Mills		Vertical mills are milling machines in which the cutting tool travels along a vertical axis.
	Lathes and Turning Centers		Lathes and turning centers are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably. A lathe consists of a cutting tool and a rotating workpiece. The CNC program controls the position of the cutting tool along the way-guide.
	Grinders		Grinders are used in finishing operations. CNC grinders are automated and grind surfaces to a precision finish.
	Electro Discharge Machine (EDM)		Electro discharge machines (EDM) apply voltage through a dielectric medium between the tool electrode and the workpiece.
	Torch Table		Plasma or oxyacetylene torch tables are used to cut a variety of plate materials.
	Welding		Automatic welding machines use tungsten inert gas (TIG), metal inert gas (MIG), and other capabilities.
	Inspection		Inspection machines inspect products for a particular attribute (e.g., color, size, and/or mass) and reject items fail to meet pre-set values. They can be integrated with other CNC-controlled machines.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized or proprietary applications.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

	Complete Machine Retrofit?		CNC controllers provide complete kits for converting a manual machine to a CNC-controlled machine. All retrofit kits contain common components such as software, signal generator(s), controller(s), motor(s) and cabling.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

Number of Axes



	Your choices are...
	1		Devices control one axis.
	2		Devices control two axes.
	3		Devices control three axes.
	4		Devices control four axes.
	5		Devices control five axes.
	6 +		Devices control six or more axes.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Configuration



	Your choices are...
	Board		CNC controllers are computer boards.
	Stand Alone		Stand-alone cabinets are separate from the machine, but contain all of the electronics that control the machine.
	Desktop		Desktop controllers allow machine operators to control machines from separate, nearby offices.
	Pendant		Pendant controllers hang from an arm attached to the machine.
	Pedestal		Pedestal controllers sit on top of an arm attached to the machine.
	Rack Mount		Rack-mounted controllers have tabs for mounting controller components on vertical rails inside a standard rack.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary configurations.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

	Integral Display		CNC controllers include an integral or built-in display.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Touch Screen		Touch screens permit direct operator control. They are sometimes called human machine interfaces (HMI).
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Key Pad		Key pads or touch pads contain pushbuttons or keys.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

Industrial Communications Most factories have a common communications protocol. This allows for easier inter-cell or machine communications.



	Your choices are...
	ARCNET		Attached resource computer network (ARCNET) is an embedded, high-speed, token-based network technology that provides local area network (LAN) communications between computers. ARCNET relies on a bus or star topology and can support up to 255 nodes. Different versions run at speeds of 1.5 Mbps, 20 Mbps (ARCNET Plus), and 100 Mbps.
	CANbus		Controller area network bus (CANbus) is a high-speed serial data network designed for harsh electrical environments and real-time control applications. It operates at data rates up to 1 Mbps and provides excellent error detection and confinement capabilities.
	ControlNet		Control network (ControlNet) allows multiple controllers to control I/O on the same link. It is well-suited for peer-to-peer systems and offers deterministic, repeatable performance for both discrete and process applications.
	Data Highway Plus		Data Highway Plus is a local area network (LAN) that is designed to support remote programming for factory floor applications.
	DeviceNet		DeviceNet uses controller area network (CAN) network protocol to connect industrial devices such as limit switches, photoelectric cells, valve manifolds, motor starters, drives, and operator displays to programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and personal computers (PCs).
	Ethernet		Ethernet is a local area network (LAN) protocol that uses a bus or star typology and supports data transfer rates of 10 Mbps. The Ethernet specification is the basis for the IEEE 802.3 standard, which specifies the physical and lower software layers. To handle simultaneous demands, Ethernet uses carrier sense multiple access / collision detection (CSMA/CD) to monitor network traffic.
	Parallel		Parallel industrial communications transmits data by sending bits down parallel electrical paths simultaneously. IEEE 1284, a standard from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), is the most prevalent form. IEEE 1284 defines bi-directional parallel communications between computers and peripherals such as printers, storage devices and modems.
	PROFIBUS^®		The process fieldbus (PROFIBUS^®) is a popular, open communication standard used in factory automation, process automation, motion control, and safety applications. PROFIBUS is standardized in IEC 71158 and IEC 61784 and is suitable for both fast, time-critical applications and complex communication tasks. PROFIBUS is a registered trademark of PROFIBUS International.
	SERCOS		Serial real-time communications system (SERCOS) is an open-standard, digital drive interface specification for communications between controllers and intelligent devices. SERCOS is designed for the high-speed serial transmission of standardized, closed-loop data in real-time over a noise-immune, fiber optic cable.
	Universal Serial Bus (USB)		Universal serial bus (USB) is a 4-wire, 12-Mbps serial bus for low-to-medium speed peripheral device connections to personal computers (PC), including keyboards, mice, modems, printers, joysticks, audio functions, monitor controls, etc. The USB design is standardized by the USB Implementers Forum (USBIF), an organization that includes leading companies from the computer and electronics industries. The current USB specification is USB 2.0, which supports data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps.
	Serial (RS232, RS422, RS485)		Serial interfaces transmit data one bit at a time. Common standards include RS232, RS422, and RS485. The RS232 standard is approved by the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) for connecting serial devices. The device that connects to the interface is called data communication equipment (DCE). The device to which the interface is connected (the computer) is called data terminal equipment (DTE). The RS422 standard is a balanced serial interface for the transmission of digital data that is designed to replace the older RS232 standard. RS422 supports greater distances, higher baud rates, and greater immunity to electrical interference than RS232. Like RS232, however, RS422 is intended for point-to-point communications. The RS485 standard is similar to RS422, but used for multipoint communications.
	Web-Enabled		CNC controllers can be interfaced to the world wide web (WWW) and can communicate with computers or controllers.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary communications.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Language



	Your choices are...
	Bitmap		Bitmaps define a display space and the color for each pixel or bit in the display space.
	Conversational		Conversational languages are higher-level, easy-to-learn programming tools which perform the same functions as standard G-code commands.
	DXF File		Drawing exchange format (DXF) files are used to exchange two- and three-dimensional (3D) drawings between different computer-aided design (CAD) programs. DXF files represent a shape as a wire-frame mesh with x, y, and z coordinates.
	G Code / M Code		G-code is a programming language that can be downloaded to the controller in order to operate the machine. M-code is the standard machine-tool code used to switch on a spindle, coolant or auxiliary device.
	Hewlett Packard Graphics Language (HPGL)		Hewlett Packard Graphical Language (HPGL) was designed originally to send two-dimensional (2D) drawing information to pen plotters, but has since become a standard for the exchange of 2D drawing information between CAD programs.
	Ladder Logic		Ladder logic is a graphical programming language used with programmable logic controllers (PLC). It closely resembles electrical relay logic diagrams.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary languages.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Operation



	Your choices are...
	Polar Coordinate Command		Polar coordinate command is a numerical control system in which all of the coordinates are referred to a certain pole. The position is defined by the polar radius and polar angle.
	Cutter Compensation		Cutter compensation is the desired distance for the CNC control offset for the tool radius away from the programmed path.
	Linear / Circular Interpolation		Linear and circular interpolation is the programmed path of the machine. It appears to be straight or curved, but is actually a series of very small steps along the path.
	Stored Pitch Error		Stored pitch error compensation improves machine precision by correcting for leadscrew pitch error and other mechanical positioning errors.
	Helical Interpolation		Helical interpolation is used to make large-diameter holes in workpieces. It allows for high metal-removal rates with a minimum of tool wear.
	Canned Cycles		Canned cycles are machine routines such as drilling, deep drilling, reaming, tapping, and boring that involve a series of machine operations, but are specified by a single G-code with appropriate parameters.
	Rigid Tapping		Rigid tapping is a CNC tapping technique which feeds a tap into a workpiece at the precise rate needed for a perfectly tapped hole. Rigid tapping must retract at the same precise rate; otherwise, it shaves the hole or creates an out-of-spec tapped hole.
	Auto-scaling		Auto-scaling translates the parameters of the CNC program to fit the workpiece.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary operations.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

	Motor
	Your choices are...
	Servo		Servo motors are precisely controlled by special drive electronics that use motor position feedback via encoders or resolvers (closed loop). Generally, the electronics and control algorithms are more sophisticated than those used with stepper motors. Consequently, servo motors provide smoother motion and more precise positioning.
	Stepper		Stepper motors provide incremental motion (steps) in response to pulses of current which alternately change the polarity of the stator poles. Stepper motors do not require feedback and are sometimes used in open loop or no-feedback applications.
	Search Logic:		Products with the selected attribute will be returned as matches. Leaving or selecting "No Preference" will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Features



	Your choices are...
	Alarm / Event Monitoring		Alarms and event monitoring can help reduce down-time by avoiding collisions that can break tools or dies. They can also prevent other types of machine damaging incidents.
	Behind Tape Reader		Behind tape readers (BTR) allow a program to be loaded from a computer into a machine's memory without using the tape reader. BTR is common in older machines.
	Diskette / Floppy Storage		The machine program is stored on a standard 3.5"-diameter diskette or floppy disk.
	Tape Storage		The machine program is stored on a tape which uses the conventional, paper style or the more current magnetic style.
	Zip Disk Storage		Zip disk storage is a compact, high-capacity form of removable storage.
	Multi-program Storage		Many machine controllers allow multiple-part programs to be stored internally. This allows for faster setup and turnaround times.
	Self Diagnostics		CNC controllers with self-diagnostics can run a program and determine if there is a machine fault or error for the workpiece.
	Simultaneous Control		Simultaneous control allows for the independent control of multiple axes at the same time.
	Tape Reader		Tape readers are devices which attach to machine controllers in order to read the paper or magnetic tapes which contain the program information.
	Teach Mode		Teach mode allows a machine operator to move each axis to the desired position in order to "teach" the machine how to make the part.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary features or options.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

CNC Controllers Specifications

Applications:

Complete Machine Retrofit?

Number of Axes:

Configuration:

Integral Display?

Touch Screen?

Key Pad?

Industrial Communications:

Language:

Operation:

Motor:

Features:

Help with CNC Controllers specifications: