The Event Handler

The Event Handler is a set of instructions that:

• Must be developed for each machine/controller combination.

• Contains a set of instructions for each type of event to post process.

• Defines how the tool path data and events are executed at the machine tool.

• Must use TCL. There should be a TCL procedure for each event that you want the Event Handler to process.

  • The TCL procedure name for each event must be identical to the event name triggered by the Event Generator. For example, the procedure name for a tool change event must be MOM_tool_change.

  • The parameters associated with each event are passed to the Event Handler as global variables. The Setup Events, Machine Control Events, Move Events, Cycle Events, and Miscellaneous Parameters sections describe the valid events and the parameters associated with each event.

See also:

•  TCL For The Post Writer

•  An Example Event Handler

The TCL interpreter serves as the translator for Post.

The Definition File

The definition file mainly contains static information about a specific machine tool (one definition file for each machine).

Most NC machines use addresses for each of the variables that control the machine. For example, the address X is used to store the value of the X coordinate of the end position of a Linear move. Each command line in an NC program changes the state of the machine by changing the state of its addresses. Post will provide tools that use the information in the definition file to format NC commands.

These tools will be provided as an extension to core TCL. The definition file contains the following:

• General machine attributes

• The addresses that are supported by the machine

• The attributes of each address (format, max, min)

• A set of block templates that describes how the addresses fit together to perform an action on the machine. For example, the command G01 X[Xval] Y[Yval] Z[Zval] performs a linear move.

As mention above, the definition file describes static data about a specific machine tool. It contains information that will simplify the process of generating an NC program.

Refer to An Example Definition File for an example.

• We recommend using Postbuilder to create the Event Handler and Definition File.