Proportional pulse generator

Claim 1

An apparatus for generating at least two sets of drive pulses causing a movable member to move along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. means responsive to the drive pulses for producing a feEdrate signal representing a velocity along one of the axes of motion having the largest displacement; b. means responsive to the input signals and the drive pulses for generating a set of overflow pulses for each axis of motion by iteratively incrementing the magnitude of the input signals at a fixed rate, said generating means being interrupted upon a number of overflow pulses for the one of the axes of motion exceeding by a predetermined number the number of corresponding drive pulses produced; and c. means responsive to the generating means and the feedrate signal for producing a set of drive pulses for each axis of motion, said drive pulses causing the movable member to move at the predetermined velocity along the predetermined path.

Claim 2

An apparatus for generating at least two sets of drive pulses causing a movable member to move along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. means responsive to the drive pulses for producing a feEdrate signal representing a velocity along one of the axes of motion having the largest displacement; b. means responsive to the input signals and the drive pulses for generating a set of overflow pulses for each axis of motion by iteratively incrementing the magnitude of the input signals at a fixed rate, said generating means being interrupted upon a number of overflow pulses for the one of the axes of motion exceeding by a predetermined number the number of corresponding drive pulses produced; and c. means responsive to the generating means and the feedrate signal for producing a set of drive pulses for each axis of motion, said drive pulses causing the movable member to move at the predetermined velocity along the predetermined path.

Claim 5

An apparatus for generating at least two sets of drive pulses for moving a movable member along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. means responsive to the drive pulses for producing feedrate pulses representing a velocity along one of the axes of motion having the largest displacement; b. means responsive to the input signals for generating a set of overflow pulses for each axis of motion by iteratively incrementing the input signals by their respective magnitudes at a fixed rate; c. means responsive to each set of overflow pulses and each set of drive pulses for storing the overflow pulses and eliminating overflow pulses from said storing means in response to the drive pulses, said storing means producing

Claim 6

An apparatus for generating at least two sets of drive pulses for moving a movable member along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. means responsive to the drive pulses for producing feedrate pulses representing a velocity along one of the axes of motion having the largest displacement; b. means responsive to the input signals for generating a set of overflow pulses for each axis of motion by iteratively incrementing the input signals by their respective magnitudes at a fixed rate; c. means responsive to each set of overflow pulses and each set of drive pulses for storing the overflow pulses and eliminating overflow pulses from said storing means in response to the drive pulses, said storing means producing

Claim 9

An apparatus for generating at least two sets of drive pulses for moving a movable member along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. means responsive to the drive pulses for producing feedrate pulses having a frequency representing a velocity along one of the axes of motion having the largest displacement; b. means responsive to the input signals for generating a set of overflow pulses for each axis of motion by iteratively producing a sum of increments at a fixed rate, each increment being equal to the magnitude of a corresponding input signal; c. means responsive to each set of overflow pulses and each set of drive pulses for storing the overflow pulses and eliminating an overflow pulse from said storing means in response to a corresponding drive pulse; said storing means producing

Claim 10

An apparatus for generating at least two sets of drive pulses for moving a movable member along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. means responsive to the drive pulses for producing feedrate pulses having a frequency representing a velocity along one of the axes of motion having the largest displacement; b. means responsive to the input signals for generating a set of overflow pulses for each axis of motion by iteratively producing a sum of increments at a fixed rate, each increment being equal to the magnitude of a corresponding input signal; c. means responsive to each set of overflow pulses and each set of drive pulses for storing the overflow pulses and eliminating an overflow pulse from said storing means in response to a corresponding drive pulse; said storing means producing

Claim 11

An apparatus for generating at least two digital driVe signals causing a movable member to move along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. means responsive to the drive signals for producing a feedrate signal representing a velocity along one of the axes of motion; b. means responsive to the input signals for generating a set of overflow pulses for each of the axes of motion by iteratively producing a sum of increments at a fixed rate, each increment being equal to the magnitude of a corresponding input signal; c. means responsive to the drive signals and the generating means for storing each set of overflow pulses and producing a number of output signals, said output signals comprising a first output signal in response to a first predetermined number of overflow pulses stored and a second output signal in response to a second predetermined number of overflow pulses stored; d. means responsive to the second output signals and connected to the generating means for inhibiting the generating means in response to the occurrence of the second output signal associated with the one of the axes of motion; and e. means responsive to each of the first output signals, the feedrate signal and connected to the storing means for producing a drive signal for each axis of motion, said drive signals being operative to decrement a corresponding storing means by said first predetermined number and to cause the movable member to move along the predetermined path at the predetermined velocity.

Claim 12

An apparatus for generating at least two digital driVe signals causing a movable member to move along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. means responsive to the drive signals for producing a feedrate signal representing a velocity along one of the axes of motion; b. means responsive to the input signals for generating a set of overflow pulses for each of the axes of motion by iteratively producing a sum of increments at a fixed rate, each increment being equal to the magnitude of a corresponding input signal; c. means responsive to the drive signals and the generating means for storing each set of overflow pulses and producing a number of output signals, said output signals comprising a first output signal in response to a first predetermined number of overflow pulses stored and a second output signal in response to a second predetermined number of overflow pulses stored; d. means responsive to the second output signals and connected to the generating means for inhibiting the generating means in response to the occurrence of the second output signal associated with the one of the axes of motion; and e. means responsive to each of the first output signals, the feedrate signal and connected to the storing means for producing a drive signal for each axis of motion, said drive signals being operative to decrement a corresponding storing means by said first predetermined number and to cause the movable member to move along the predetermined path at the predetermined velocity.

Claim 13

An apparatus for generating at least two sets of drive pulses for moving a movable member along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of interpolators responsive to the input signals for generating a set of overflow pulses for each axis of motion by iteratively incrementing the magnitude of the input signals at a fixed rate; b. an input circuit responsive to the input signals and connected to the interpolators for loading the input signals into the interpolators in a manner optimizing the occurrence of the overflow pulses therefrom; c. a plurality of two-stage buffer stores, each store being responsive to an interpolator and a corresponding set of drive pulses for counting in one direction in response to each overflow pulse and counting in the opposite direction in response to each drive pulse; d. a logic gate connected between the buffer stores and the interpolators for inhibiting the operation of the interpolators upon either of the buffer stores being filled with overflow pulses; e. a feedrate circuit being responsive to the drive pulses for producing feedrate pulses; and f. a gating circuit responsive to each set of overflow pulses and the feedrate pulses for producing a set of drive pulses for each axis of motion.

Claim 14

An apparatus for generating at least two sets of drive pulses for moving a movable member along at least two axes of motion at a predetermined velocity along a predetermined path, said path being defined by input signals representing displacements along each axis of motion, the apparatus comprising: a. a plurality of interpolators responsive to the input signals for generating a set of overflow pulses for each axis of motion by iteratively incrementing the magnitude of the input signals at a fixed rate; b. an input circuit responsive to the input signals and connected to the interpolators for loading the input signals into the interpolators in a manner optimizing the occurrence of the overflow pulses therefrom; c. a plurality of two-stage buffer stores, each store being responsive to an interpolator and a corresponding set of drive pulses for counting in one direction in response to each overflow pulse and counting in the opposite direction in response to each drive pulse; d. a logic gate connected between the buffer stores and the interpolators for inhibiting the operation of the interpolators upon either of the buffer stores being filled with overflow pulses; e. a feedrate circuit being responsive to the drive pulses for producing feedrate pulses; and f. a gating circuit responsive to each set of overflow pulses and the feedrate pulses for producing a set of drive pulses for each axis of motion.