Programming CNC Machines With G-Codes (part 1 of 2)

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Ever since the industrial revolution started, the demand to create precise instruments and products is an important factor in large scale manufacturing. Belts, screws, Drills and all movable parts needed to create other products in the assembly line must all be exact and compatible, thus extra care must be taken in order to ensure that all moving parts match perfectly. Computer Numerical Controlled programming has become an extremely important part of this process.

Computer Numerical Controlled Machines are useless without any programming. CNC’s rely on pure hard codes in order to execute commands that the Machine Operator wants to do, therefore not only is it needed to learn the mechanics of the whole Computer Numerical Controlled Machine but it is also at the utmost importance that the Machine operator knows how to communicate with the machine, and that is by using G-codes.

Preparatory code/ functions or much commonly called as G-codes are functions in the Computer Numerical Control programming language. The G-codes job is to manage the position of the tool as well as control the step by step commands during the actual work. Basically the G-codes are the most important part of the Computer Numerical Control Programming algorithm.

There are other codes involved in the programming of CNC’s such as M-codes that manages the machine, T-codes for managing the tools, and F-codes for the tool feed and tool speed controls. All of these codes are created in a Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software.

G codes as well as the others use the RS-274D as the recommended standard for the Computer Numerical Controlled Machines. This standard was developed by the Electronic Industry association during the 1960’s. These standards provide a basis for the creation of Computer Numerical Controlled Programs.

First designs of these standards came from punched paper tapes as the medium standard for data interchange, but now ASCII character bit patterns are the standard for the representation.