A Novel Technique for Controlling CNC Systems

Abstract

This paper describes a new CNC machine control unit MCU for numerically controlled NC systems used for machining or non-machining applications of numerical control NC. The proposed MCU is a combination of computer PC with Matlab software and Arduino microcontroller. The Matlab is used as an image processing program to accomplish the boarder detection of the image and convert it into digital output (0 and 1) for each pixel by a number of functions. The pixels will bias an array for the image, which will be processed to instructions. These instructions will be sent to Arduino microcontroller by the Matlab through Arduino cable (serial port). The Arduino microcontroller will generate the proper pulse trains to control the operation of stepper motors in the processing equipment (machine tool). The designed MCU has been implemented and experimentally tested in three-axes milling machine. Performance analysis of accomplished tasks verifies that the suggested approach for NC-part programming can be developed and used for different machining and non-machining applications of NC systems.

Keywords: numerical control, NC-part programming, Matlab, Arduino microcontroller, milling machine