Patent ID: 7656787

Claim:
A modular, numeric control, comprising: at least two modules, each module including a microprocessor unit and connected to each other via serial data-transmission channels to transmit information as data packets; wherein at least one first module includes a data-packet generation unit adapted to generate data packets and transmit data packets to at least one further module; wherein at least one second module includes a data-packet processor unit adapted to at least one of: (a) process data packets independently of malfunctioning of the microprocessor unit of the second module; and (b) transmit data packets to at least one further module independently of malfunctioning of the microprocessor unit of the second module; wherein each data packet includes a status of at least one safety signal; wherein the data-packet generation unit is adapted to generate, independently of malfunctioning of the microprocessor unit of the first module, the data packets, including the status of the at least one safety signal; wherein the data-packet generation unit is adapted to transmit, independently of malfunctioning of the microprocessor unit of the first module, the data packets, including the status of the at least one safety signal, to the at least one further module; wherein the at least two modules include a main computer and at least one controller unit connected to each other in a series circuit via serial data-transmission channels, the data-packet generation unit arranged in the main computer, the at least one controller unit including a first data-packet processor unit adapted to process and transmit to a next controller unit of the series circuit data packets that arrive from a direction of the main computer, the at least one controller unit including a second data-packet processor unit adapted to process and transmit in the direction of the main computer data packets that arrive from a direction of a final controller unit of the series circuit; and wherein the main computer includes a final data-packet processor unit adapted to process data packets and to switch a shut-off signal in accordance with a status of at least one safety signal included in received data packets.