The Valeron Corporation

Robert C Murray

Kenneth J Cook

Richard L Massa

A microprocessor-based controller for a stepper motor driven machine tool compensation system is disclosed. The step pulses for the motor are stored in the controller firmware as a table of numbers, each number representing the time elapsing from one motor step command to the next, thus enabling precise generation of the desired motor velocity versus time characteristic. The controller additionally interprets compensation system command inputs, drives a system display unit, and activates appropriate output status signals to the compensation system and machine tool apparatus. The controller is capable of detecting impending commercial power failure and protecting, via battery back-up power, its volatile random access memory.

Controller for tool compensation system

A general purpose, microprocessor-based printer utilizing a thermal printhead graphic dot matrix features the capability of accepting either digital or analog data from a host system or device and or printing in either data logging, textual, or strip chart recorder format. In addition to preprogrammed alphanumeric character sets, the printer controller can print any symbol or shape adaptable to a dot matrix that may be specified by data transmitted from the host system. An analog input section of the printer is provided for applications where the host input data values to be graphed are not available in digital form. The analog input section further includes selectable chart paper speed settings, a chart input range selector, zero positioner, and a visual low paper indicator.

General purpose combined alphanumeric/graphics printer

A high power source load simulator presents itself to a power meter as a conventional electrical load, but in fact is highly portable and dissipates relatively little power and heat. A current source generates a selectively variable current signal which is characterized by a relatively low, constant voltage. A voltage source generates a selectively variable voltage signal which is phase locked with the current signal and is characterized by a relatively low, constant current. The phase angle between the two signals is selectively variable by means of a phase shift network interposed mediate the voltage and current sources. The current and voltage signals are impressed upon the current and voltage sensing inputs of a power monitor via jumper cables. An AGC circuit is also interposed between the voltage and current sources to insure the amplitude independence of their respective signals.

Load source simulator

A power monitor including a high power shunt connected in series with an electrical load to develop a signal proportional to current which is then modulated. A second signal proportional to the voltage across the load is developed by a voltage divider network. The two signals are applied as inputs to an electronic multiplier which produces a modulated output signal which is proportional to the power being dissipated by the load. The ouput signal from the multiplier is fed through an isolation transformer which passes the modulated power signal, but blocks the high load voltage. The power signal is then demodulated, filtered and displayed digitally on a meter. This signal is also provided as an analog output. An oscillator synchronizes both the demodulator and modulator, the oscillator drive of the modulator being isolated. When the load is a three-phase device, two such watt-meter modules are employed to measure the current and voltages associated with two of the three legs of the load, the output of the demodulators of the two modules are then summed, passed through a filter and displayed as a single power reading. During the summation process, the demodulated output signal is electrically scaled to read as horsepower, kilowatts, or percent of full scale.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Robert C Murray