Foreign language CRT's

Modern Machine Shop, Jan, 1991 by Golden E. Herrin

Any machine tool builder who has attempted to market products internationally has had to deal with foreign language translations for the operators controls as well as for all printed documentation. On CNC machines there is an added requirement--the conversion of the CRT display with its many operator messages, helps pages and instructions into other languages.

On commodity machines, where there is stiff international competition, it has long been the rule to arrange the machine with the proper foreign language display on the CRT This is a basic requirement for staying competitive. To a limited degree, specialized machines like aerospace profilers, custom designed machines and contour tape laying machines manufactured in the U.S. have been accepted internationally with English CRTS. This happens primarily because these machines are essential to a specific industry or process and they are available only with English displays. It also helps that most countries accept English to a limited degree as a technical language. Recently, however, there has been increasing pressure from certain countries, especially France and Germany, to actively promote the exclusive use of their respective languages on all imported machine tools including these specialized machines.

To focus on the importance of supporting foreign language CRTs--ask the question of any U.S. company, "Would you buy a Japanese CNC machine which displayed only Japanese on the CRT?". The answer would be a resounding "No". But yet it appears that U.S. machine tool builders would like other countries, including Japan, to purchase U.S. built machines with English displays. There is no doubt that the Japanese control builders have set the pace for other control builders to follow when it comes to matching up CRT language with their customers. This willingness to communicate in the users language has been one of the strongest contributors to the acceptance of Japanese controls and machines around the world.

Supporting foreign language CRTs on CNC's is considerably more involved than just translating a few words or mnemonics for display. For example, on most CNC's there are three software sections which generate CRT messages: the basic CNC executive; diagnostic package (where diagnostic software is separate from the CNC executive); and the machine control logic.

All three of these software sections generate messages that must be read, understood and acted upon by various shop disciplines (operators, programmers and technicians) and therefore require unique coding for each language. However, the software support for these three sections comes from different sources. The executive and diagnostic software is designed and maintained by the CNC builder whereas the machine control logic is designed and maintained by the machine tool builder. Consequently, both the CNC builder and the machine tool builder must jointly participate to provide full foreign language support for a CNC machine.

Typical CRT messages which fall under the machine tool builder's responsibility are: axis overtravel; lube failure; filter clogged; spindle overload; and so on. Messages generated by the CNC executive deal with the operation of the basic CNC. Typical messages in this category are: invalid word programmed, memory fail, invalid feedrate, and so on.

CNC manufacturers have varied their approach for supplying foreign language CRTs. Some include a variety of languages in die base software and let the machine tool builder or end user select while others provide only the appropriate foreign language software as requested. The following chart describes how a number of CNC builders handle foreign language CRTs. Please note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list but includes information that was readily available at the time this article was written.

With the increased power and flexibility of today's CNC'S, multi-language capability has become practical. The control builders and machine tool builders, who have already responded to the challenge to support foreign languages, have set the pace for the others who wish to market their products internationally.