Patent ID: 7174474

Claim:
A method for distributed multi-axis motion control comprising the steps of: generating a pattern table of a motor system comprising a first node component and a second node component of a multicast communications network, the first node component comprising a first clock and a first actuator and the second node component comprising a second clock and a second actuator; translating the pattern table into first and second single-direction-of-motion pattern tables each controlling a separate actuator direction of motion in the motor system; transmitting the first single-direction-of-motion pattern table over the network to the first node component and the second single-direction-of-motion pattern table over the network to the second node component; synchronizing the first and second clocks with synchronization signals transmitted through the network at a sync interval; generating time bombs at an interval which is a whole number multiple of the sync interval; concurrently executing the first step in the sequence of motions defined in the first and second single-direction-of-motion pattern tables for each of the actuators in response to a time-bomb to begin motion of the actuators to produce multi-axis motion of the motor system; and continuing execution of subsequent steps in the sequence of motions defined in the first and second single-direction-of-motion pattern tables in response to subsequent time-bombs to produce synchronized multi-axis motion of the motor system.